Inside Waste Aug/Sep 2025 by Prime Group

Burning Issue – batteries,

By Inside Waste

A lithium-ion battery can sit quietly in a toy, vape, toothbrush or an old laptop, long after the item itself is discarded. But what seems benign can quickly become volatile when mishandled, especially in the unpredictable, high-pressure environments of the waste industry. Crushed, overheated, or simply faulty, a single battery can ignite intense fires that endanger workers, damage equipment, and release highly toxic gases into the air.

Zoltan Sekula, product stewardship manager (Batteries/ E-Waste) at Ecocycle, has spent years investigating the risks these batteries pose and how they behave in failure scenarios.

“Batteries store electrical energy in chemical form. That’s really important to remember,” he said. “Lithium batteries are safe, but they’re only safe when they’re used to specifications that the manufacturer has given.”

Most Australians don’t realise just how easily those specifications can be violated once the battery enters a waste stream. Sekula said he sees batteries turning up in every category of waste: from municipal to commercial

and even in cardboard and food organics. The simple act of tossing an old device into the bin can be dangerous.

What can’t you do with batteries? You can’t overcharge them, you should not over-discharge them, they should never be short-circuited, and you should not leave them in the sun or near a heat source, according to Sekula.

A battery left in a hot car boot, or crushed on a tipping floor, can experience what’s known as a thermal runaway, which is a chain reaction that turns chemical energy into intense heat. It may begin quietly, but once the temperature reaches 125˚Celsius, it can leap to over 600˚Celsius in seconds.

“It takes less than three seconds,” Sekula said. “The whole event could be as short as six to eight minutes.”

Battery fires have become a widespread and escalating hazard in Australia’s waste and recycling industry, with nearly 30 incidents daily nationwide, and damage that often extends far beyond the initial blaze. From burned-out trucks to traumatised drivers, the impacts are stacking up and they’re becoming harder to contain.

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20 Butt litter

35 Battery stewardship

47 Consultant’s registry

By Inside Waste

At the recent Coffs Waste Conference, product stewardship, levy reform, investment and clear policy leadership were flagged as essential if Australia is to meet its ambitious resource recovery targets.

The path to 80 per cent resource recovery as mandated by the Government is a long one – and industry experts say Australia is not going to get there with marginal improvements and ad hoc interventions. Speaking during a high-level panel on waste and resource recovery policy, some of Australia’s top circular economy thinkers and investors urged action on known priorities, warning that time, confidence and public trust were all running out.

WMRR CEO Gayle Sloan set the tone from the start, stating that while the debate often returns to the landfill levy and energy-from-waste, the real priority is delivering reform in commercial and industrial (C&I) waste. She pointed to recent investment in C&I infrastructure and asked panellist ResourceCo Energy CEO Henry Anning how the sector was tracking.

“C&I waste often falls between the cracks,” he said. “Unlike municipal solid waste (MSW) or construction and demolition (C&D) materials, it’s less well defined and frequently ignored at source. We have limited if any policy or regulation in this area, however it is our second largest material stream.”

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Ward Petherbridge, Managing Director, Smart Resources Group

Image: TLF/shutterstock.com

MAXIMIZED THROUGHPUT PRECISE RESULTS

Govt leadership found wanting

Sometimes I feel like a hamster on a running wheel when it comes to the issues in the resource recovery sector. The same issues keep getting rehashed year after year and generally we end up frustrated at the lack of progress. However, there are people within the industry who do see the light at the end of the tunnel, we just need the government and regulatory bodies to be willing to get there. At a panel at the recent Coffs Harbour Waste Conference, the discussion revolved around waste levies, product stewardship and the aforementioned policy leadership.

One of the key issues from the outset was C&I waste. The panel agreed that if the country wanted to reach the target of 80 per cent recovered/recycled waste by 2030 then all streams need to get onboard. One of the hardest to tackle is C&I for several reasons – its transient nature, the fickleness of the various government regulations surrounding it, plus no real incentive for the sector to get onboard.

What are the realistic chances of Australia making the 80 per cent? I’ll call it now, five years out from the deadline – zero, Nil. Am I a pessimist? Four years ago, when I first dipped my foot into this industry, the answer was no. Four years later, I’m now beginning to see why many of those who had been around a lot longer than I would wryly smile at my naïve optimism.

There are those on the outside that assume this is a fractured industry. One where different parts of the waste establishment have their own agendas and are looking out for number one. This may be true to a degree – they all have businesses to run, want to make a profit and, in some cases, answer to a board and shareholders.

However, on the big picture stuff – they are almost unanimously onboard with regards to what needs to be done, and more importantly, how to get there. What is missing isn’t their will or desire to work hard. It is a severe lack of leadership at both state and government level. At local level there are issues too, but local governments – and the CEOs that run them – are a lot closer to their constituents –i.e. those that hold them accountable – than their state and federal peers.

The answer? Forget about the next election cycle or party politics and start doing what you’re paid to do – make hard decisions that benefit the wider public.

Chief Executive Oﬃcer

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

Managing Editor Mike Wheeler mike.wheeler@primecreative.com.au

Brand Manager

Chelsea Daniel chelsea.daniel@primecreative.com.au

Art Director

Bea Barthelson

Client Success

Head

Mike Wheeler - Managing Editor

Burning Issue – batteries, ﬁres and ﬁxes

(Continued from the Cover)

AT A RECENT PANEL at the Coffs Harbour Waste Conference, Brett Lemin, executive director of the NSW Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association (WCRA), said incidents are widespread and rising. Fires are occurring in vehicles and at waste facilities, often starting with lithium-ion batteries discarded in household bins.

Once alight, a fire in a waste truck can be devastating. A vehicle carrying flammable plastic and general waste becomes a fast-moving furnace. The result is not just a destroyed truck, but long-term damage to essential services and worker safety. One local government recently lost a side-loading collection truck to a battery fire and couldn’t find a replacement anywhere. With supply chains tight, the loss triggered service disruptions, and rubbish collections were left on the side of the road. Replacing such vehicles is costly; a new side-loader can exceed $500,000. The problem is not only the capital loss, but the knock-on effects to service continuity for residents and businesses.

Even something as small as a child’s toy with a battery embedded in it can cause a catastrophic fire. Image: Maksim Safaniuk/shutterstock.com

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Drivers are also under increasing pressure. Some have taken extended leave, including for post-traumatic stress, after experiencing fires and near misses. Evacuating a burning truck in the middle of suburban streets, sometimes while copping abuse from the public, has led to a mental health crisis for some waste workers.

Fire safety planning is beginning to adapt. Lemin said some governments are now identifying safe zones for tipping burning loads. But in remote or dense areas, those options remain scarce. The call for systemic risk management, especially during summer or in fire-prone places like the Blue Mountains in NSW, is growing louder.

At waste processing facilities, fire suppression systems and specialised PPE are becoming standard, albeit expensive. The fire is only part of the danger. The gases released can be just as deadly. Hydrogen fluoride, for example, can be lethal even in small doses.

“You don’t need a whole lot of exposure to that gas before you have some serious health implications,” Lemin said. “It can be absorbed through the skin, and a respirator doesn’t help much in this scenario. The gas basically leeches calcium from your bones. The only treatment is a quick, direct calcium injection into the bone to try and put more calcium in than is being sucked out –or amputation.”

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Rapid deteriation of batteries cause all sorts of issues in a range of waste streams.

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At EcoBatt, we are driving real change through our nationwide Battery Collection Service, which is designed to significantly reduce the number of batteries ending up in landfill. With over 7,000 collection units located across Australia in partnership with major retailers, we are making battery recycling more convenient and accessible than ever before.

Improper battery disposal can have serious consequences. From fires in waste trucks and landfill sites to toxic chemicals leaking into soil and waterways, the risks to our environment, wildlife and community health are far-reaching.

Recycling batteries correctly is a simple yet powerful way to protect what matters. By working together, we can create a cleaner, safer

and preserve valuable resources for generations to come.

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Sekula recalled one real-world case, in which a domestic energy storage device was accidentally crushed. The battery released 3.3 kilowatts of energy, rapidly igniting a fire that required specialist cooling to suppress.

“A lot of landfill and transfer stations don’t have that capability,” he added. “This is where the problem starts.”

The insurance industry is also reacting. Some operators have seen premiums spike by 600 per cent, driven largely by the rising risk of batteryrelated fires. Without intervention, the toll on public safety, the environment, and infrastructure will only escalate.

The product stewardship gap Amid rising battery-related incidents, Australia’s national stewardship efforts are gaining urgency.

Libby Chaplin, CEO of the Battery Stewardship Council (BSC), said the core problem isn’t just public awareness – it’s who pays for the recovery.

“Our biggest challenge is paying for the collection and processing of those batteries,” she said.

Chaplin said regulatory reform is vital. If all battery producers contribute, councils and stewardship programs can afford public education and infrastructure to ensure batteries are safely recovered. At present, many batteries are discarded with 60 to 90 per cent of their charge still remaining – an unseen but significant risk.

“The act of taping terminals can drastically lower the risk of fires during collection and transport,” Chaplin said, citing her experience in the United States. “It does significantly reduce the risk. That’s one thing that we can easily relate to the community.”

To support this communication, the BSC is rolling out B-Cycle 2.0, a proposed eco-modulated levy system currently before the ACCC. Under the plan, riskier battery chemistries will attract higher

“The gas basically leeches calcium from your bones. The only treatment is a quick, direct calcium injection into the bone to try and put more calcium in than is being sucked out – or amputation.”

stewardship fees. The funds will go towards public campaigns and infrastructure, not direct consumer rebates, to avoid hoarding behaviours.

“It really does nestle well with a regulatory reform approach,” Chaplin said. “All of those things that we are doing now and plan to do with B-Cycle 2.0 work well within a regulated framework.”

Changing community behaviour

For all the technical solutions and funding mechanisms, the issue ultimately comes down to human behaviour, and that’s where Kathy Giunta, director of major programs at the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), has been focusing her efforts.

“The very first behaviour that we need to tackle is just getting people to stop and think, ‘does this have a battery in it?’” she said.

Items like vapes, greeting cards and children’s toys often contain embedded batteries that continue to be tossed in kerbside bins. That behaviour persists not out of malice, but because the community underestimates just how many batteries are hidden in everyday items.

Giunta said the response must be phased. First comes recognition. Then safe storage. Then remembering to take the batteries to drop-off points – something that can be as forgettable as bringing a reusable bag to the shops.

To help, the EPA has launched a new education

campaign in partnership with BehaviourWorks Australia. It targets each step in the consumer journey, beginning with a small rollout and expanding to include regional centres.

“We are also providing some funding to all of the regional groups who have community recycling centres... so that they can boost that campaign in their local areas,” said Giunta.

Infrastructure and incentives must work together

Australia’s battery stewardship network already includes 716 accredited organisations and

regulatory levers, industry buy-in and strategic communications, not just good intentions. Time is of the essence. Every delay increases the chance of another waste truck fire, another MRF evacuation, another operator injury. Yet public understanding of battery hazards remains low, and industry responses fragmented.

Sekula’s technical warnings underscore the stakes. He’s seen what happens when a battery is mishandled in a compactor or skips through screening unnoticed. His advice is simple: never underestimate the risk and always be prepared to act.

“As far as thermal runaway goes, the fire from a lithium battery can double in size every 30 to 60 seconds. It’s instantaneous.”

numerous drop-off locations in major retailers and council facilities. But infrastructure alone won’t reduce fire risk. Usage must follow.

Chaplin said the fastest way to make a difference is to leverage existing community success stories and reward high-performing areas.

“We can actually invest in local community infrastructure for those communities that are having success stories around battery recovery,” she said.

The BSC is clear: system-wide change requires

“As far as thermal runaway goes, the fire from a lithium battery can double in size every 30 to 60 seconds. It’s instantaneous,” he said. These aren’t distant hypotheticals. They’re occurring now in trucks, tips, and transfer stations across Australia. Each incident costs thousands in damage, endangers lives, and releases pollutants into the environment. Batteries are small, but the threat is not. Solving the problem demands a coordinated national response with product stewardship at its heart.

Rubbish truck fires can be costly, not just in terms of replacing vehicles, but in mental anguish for the driver. Image: Farajsaied/ shutterstock.com

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Levy reform, infrastructure, markets:

waste

(Continued from the Cover)

THE NSW EPA has conducted audits of landfill C&I loads, which showed a significant proportion of recoverable material was being lost. Anning explained that a typical C&I site may offer a cardboard bin alongside a general waste bin, which often contains everything from kitchen scraps to mixed plastics.

“The result,” he said, “is low-quality material that fails to meet licensing or fuel standards and ends up in landfill. The priority must be improved source separation across the entire C&I sector.”

Sloan agreed. Without action on C&I, she warned, the 80 per cent resource recovery target would remain out of reach. She criticised the lack of attention from state governments and suggested there was an opportunity to harness existing yellow and green bin infrastructure for business waste. Despite a recent NSW regulation mandating source separation of food organics in some businesses, more was needed. As Sloan said, “we are never going to hit 80 per cent recovery

by continuing to focus on the 30 per cent that is household, alone”.

NSW EPA’s acting director of Circular Economy Policy, Asela Atapattu, reinforced that the stakes were high.

“To achieve 80 per cent recovery, every material stream would need to contribute,” he said.

However, the transient and highly competitive nature of the C&I sector makes it difficult to regulate – the influence of the levy was remote, and market signals were often too weak to drive behavioural change.

Atapattu argued that mandates could be a logical next step but that would be up to the government. He acknowledged the difficulties in implementation, enforcement and compliance, but said these needed to be tackled head-on. The key, he said, would be building the regulatory architecture to make mandates both practical and enforceable.

Sloan raised a related concern. While households are required to separate materials

and recycle, businesses are often exempt.

“This imbalance creates a system where responsibility for material value recovery is unfairly distributed,” she said. “The result is a lack of obligation, poor separation, and a default reliance on landfill.”

Atapattu talked about the sheer scale of the problem.

“NSW generates about 22 million tonnes of waste annually, with 14 million tonnes currently recycled,” he said. “This volume is comparable to extractive industries like mining or steel manufacturing. Unlike those sectors, however, the material is highly heterogeneous, and poorly designed products make recovery more difficult.”

He argued that Australia had long failed to address the design and import stage of material flows, which is the upstream part of the value chain. He welcomed NSW’s new product stewardship legislation, calling it a breakthrough that could shift the national conversation toward prevention and design, not just end-of-pipe recycling.

Sloan said much of the public commentary

ignored this bigger picture. She criticised the idea that tweaks to the levy or one-off mandates could deliver fundamental change.

“The levy,” she said, “is remote from those generating waste, and its financial burden often falls on local government or processors.”

Another member of the panel, Hornsby Shire Council general manager Steven Head, said councils were keen to support change but felt disconnected from levy outcomes. He described the current levy as a blunt instrument that failed to reward performance. Rather than simply raising it, he suggested tying levy funds to measurable investment and outcomes.

Loopholes and issues

Anning noted that loopholes in the system, such as waste being trucked interstate to avoid levies, remained unresolved. These undermined both fairness and environmental outcomes. He called for tighter controls and smarter use of levy funds, particularly to support infrastructure that could manage organics and low-value material.

“Even with capital grants, projects were difficult to deliver unless they had end markets,” he said. “In NSW and Queensland, for example, less than a third of major waste infrastructure grants had been delivered successfully. Even free money wasn’t enough if the business model didn’t stack up.”

Preet Brar, Cleanaway’s executive general manager for Energy from Waste and Major Projects, said the country faced a stark choice. Without investment in infrastructure and system reform, the cost of inaction would continue to grow. She said the RedCycle collapse had damaged public trust and highlighted the urgent need for viable soft plastics solutions.

Brar said Cleanaway was pursuing a partnership with Viva Energy on a new soft plastics facility in Geelong. But she warned that without packaging reform and genuine product stewardship, such facilities would not be viable and they would be fighting a losing battle. The real challenge was to reflect the true cost of recycling in market signals and for the community to understand that quality recovery takes investment. She also drew attention to the land-use implications of relying on landfill.

“For every 500,000 tonnes of waste, around 400 hectares of working land is needed,” she said. “For a growing, urbanising country like Australia, that was a cost no one was calculating properly.”

Sloan argued that public investment in planning

and infrastructure was long overdue. Despite population growth and housing expansion, Australia had consistently failed to reserve land or plan for waste and resource recovery infrastructure. She cited the example of Sydney’s Northern Beaches trucking waste across the city, often by rail, to reach facilities in Western or outer Sydney.

Head said waste infrastructure needed to be embedded in land use planning.

“Water, electricity, roads and telecommunications are considered essential services; waste should be too,” he said. “Without that recognition, facilities are pushed to the periphery, increasing costs, emissions and risk.”

He said councils were already grappling with service disruptions caused by weather and distance. Resilience in the system required infrastructure to be closer to where waste was generated. In Europe this is referred to as the “proximity principle”. But planning systems rarely acknowledged this.

Leadership needed

Anning said Gold Coast Council was a standout example of local leadership. Before the 2024 election, it announced it would run out of landfill in 10 years and began planning for a residual treatment solution. It consulted the community, examined transport costs, and concluded that energy-from-waste was the right approach. Unlike

some councils, it made this decision publicly and politically and stuck to it.

Sloan said more councils needed to show similar courage. Innovation and new technology would help, but the real need was confidence and clear leadership. Waiting for a silver bullet was no substitute for planning and investment. Sloan and Atapattu both stressed the need for long-term, joined-up systems thinking.

Atapattu said all levels of government needed to hold one another accountable and that the Commonwealth had a vital role to play, particularly in controlling imports and establishing national stewardship schemes.

“National consistency could be best achieved through Commonwealth legislation,” he said. “That NSW’s new product stewardship laws have passed parliament with unanimous support is a sign that there was strong political will if governments were willing to lead.”

The cost of inaction

Brar said the challenge was not simply technological, it was economic, political and cultural. Australia’s economy is built on consumption, but the back end of that system, the recovery of value, is neglected. She called for a national conversation on the cost of inaction, both environmental and financial.

Anning agreed. He gave the example of RedCycle, where he said most in the industry had long

“For every 500,000 tonnes of waste, around 400 hectares of working land is needed.”

Above: Fee and levies are another issue whereby harmonisation across states could make a huge difference in desirable outcomes. Image: Alicia97/shutterstock.com

Poorly designed packaging is another issue that needs addressing as soon as possible. Image: BR Photo Addicted/shutterstock.com

suspected the scheme was unsustainable due to the volumes not matching the available markets or infrastructure. Up to 490,000 tonnes were placed on market, yet only 10,000 tonnes maximum were capable of being recovered, and there is very limited market demand.

“It was an object lesson in what happens when upstream design and downstream recovery are out of sync,” he said.

He reiterated the need for interconnected reforms: from policy and planning to regulation, investment, levy design and market development. Each one, he said, was necessary, but none alone would be sufficient.

The panel believes Australia has the knowledge, the people and the technology to make it work. What it needs now is courage, consistency, and commitment from every level of government. Because the longer they wait, the higher the cost becomes in money, in trust, and in environmental harm.

The panel’s consensus was clear: incremental change won’t meet Australia’s ambitious waste and resource recovery targets. Instead, a coordinated, multi-faceted approach is essential. This means not just reforming levies or imposing mandates but integrating policy, regulation, infrastructure, markets, and community engagement into a coherent national strategy.

Conclusions

Sloan emphasised that without transparent governance and accountability including clear and

certain regulation, reforms risk faltering.

“We need measurable and enforceable targets, regulation, reporting and consequences for failure,” she said. “The community expects action, not more delay.”

Atapattu added that the Commonwealth Government’s leadership is pivotal.

“National consistency can’t be achieved by states acting alone,” he said. “Product stewardship schemes, import controls, and funding frameworks require a unified approach if we are to scale solutions.”

Infrastructure investment emerged as another critical piece of the puzzle. Brar pointed out that many promising projects falter because of a lack of viable end markets hampering successful business cases.

“We can build all the facilities we want,” she said, “but if the material quality is poor or markets don’t exist, these projects are doomed to fail.”

Anning stressed the need to embed waste and resource recovery infrastructure in urban planning and policy frameworks.

“Land use planning often ignores waste, but it should be as fundamental as roads or water supply,” he said. “Without land set aside for these essential facilities, costs and emissions increase, and community opposition grows.”

Head’s local government perspective added urgency. Councils are at the frontline, he said.

“We see the consequences of poor planning every day,” he said. “Trucks travelling longer distances, rising costs, and system vulnerabilities

during extreme weather. Embedding waste and resource recovery infrastructure in planning decisions is vital for resilience.”

The economic and cultural challenges were not overlooked. Brar argued that the current system’s reliance on consumption without corresponding recovery and generator obligation creates unsustainable pressures.

“The community must understand that quality recovery demands investment — it isn’t free or effortless,” she said. “We need to shift the narrative to recognise the true costs and benefits.”

Anning’s final remarks encapsulated the panel’s message.

“We have the knowledge and technology, but success depends on courage and commitment across governments, industry, and communities. Reform is complex and interdependent. No single policy or investment will fix it. We need all reforms working together.”

As the session wrapped, one message resonated: Australia’s waste and resource recovery challenge is no longer a niche environmental issue. It is a complex, systemic challenge that demands national leadership, coherent policy, adequate investment, and active public participation.

Without swift and decisive action, the cost of delay will grow, financially, environmentally, and socially. But with bold reform and collaboration, Australia can build a circular economy that safeguards its environment, strengthens its economy, and restores public trust.

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From the CEO’s desk

No more love-ins: what it really takes to create a safe circular economy

In Australia, the circular economy has become something of a buzzword – a vision celebrated in strategy papers, stakeholder workshops, and target-setting forums. Yet for all the consultation, communiqués and roundtable photo opportunities, Australia still lacks the one thing that would truly enable a safe and functioning circular

Environment Ministers will meet for the second time this year on 7 December, following the rst 2018 Meeting of Environment Ministers (MEM) in April, which was in part a response to the import restrictions driven by China’s National Sword Policy and the e ects this policy has had across the Australian waste and resource recovery (WARR) industry. Key decisions derived from the April MEM

lack of will and an over-reliance on voluntary action, industry partnerships, and the belief that market signals alone will shift deeply entrenched systems of linear production and consumption.

•Reducing waste generation, endorsing a target of 100% of Australian packaging being recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025, and developing targets for recycled content in packaging.

• Increasing Australia’s domestic recycling capacity.

• Increasing the demand for recycled products.

Australia’s waste management hierarchy has long focused on managing harm at the end of a product’s life. But as many in the waste and resource recovery (WARR) industry know, that’s too late. To this end, it was interesting to read that the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) has updated its Zero Waste Hierarchy of Highest and Best Use – reimagining it to incorporate a “do no harm” principle, applied not only at end-of-life, but also at the design and manufacturing stages. If we embed safety and circularity at the first instance, we eliminate the risks and costs of dealing with hazardous, non-recyclable, or short-lived products downstream.

• Exploring opportunities to advance waste-to-energy and waste-to-biofuels.

In December 2024, Australia’s Environment Ministers adopted a national Circular Economy Framework, promising to lead the transition towards a sustainable society that will double Australia’s circularity rate by 2035. But the ink was barely dry before the goalposts began to shift. Ambitious 2030 targets slid to 2035. Enforceable action was absent. Accountability frameworks were unclear. And the framework remained just that – a framework – without real national legislation or state-level regulation to back it up.

•Updating the 2009 Waste Strategy by year end, which will include circular

the load. Australia urgently needs:

• National eco-design laws, modelled on the EU’s approach.

• Mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), with enforceable targets and penalties.

• A national product safety and materials register, to track and verify circular readiness.

• Consistent legislation across states, so that circular business models don’t face a patchwork of barriers.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Globally, the “circularity gap” is widening. The 2024 Circularity Gap Report found that despite growing awareness, the global economy is only 7.2 per cent circular – down from 9.1 per cent in 2018. Australia is not immune. While we increase recovery rates in some streams, we are also increasing total material consumption in others.

So, what do we need to do to achieve ‘no harm’? Well, it means we need regulating:

• Materials used in products (eliminating toxins and non-recyclables).

It is time to take stock and examine what has been achieved since these decisions were announced. Now, seven (7) months may not seem like a long time, however in that time we have seen further markets close (Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam) and if you are an operator under continued nancial stress, seven (7) months could make or break you.

In 2025, we have a new Federal Environment Minister and as the Treasurer stated in his address to the National Press Club on 18 June 2025, a government that has a focus on “productivity, budget sustainability and resilience in the face of global turmoil”.

Given that a circular economy can assist in delivering all of these, isn’t it time we asked: what will it really take to create a circular economy? It won’t be achieved through more workshops filled with butcher’s paper and feel-good declarations. Instead of aspirational statements from the curious and keen, we need to bring accountability and responsibility to the table.

• Design for disassembly and modularity.

• Product lifespan extension, through repairability and upgradeability.

Following the April MEM, we have had three (3) states step in with varying degrees of nancial assistance for industry (councils and operators). This should be expected considering almost all states (except Queensland and Tasmania) have access to signi cant waste levy income each year. On the eastern seaboard, Victoria has approximately $600 million in waste levy reserves in the Sustainability Fund and NSW raises more than $700 million per annum from the waste levy. There is certainly no lack of funds that can be reinvested into our essential industry.

Funding helps but as we know, the money goes a much longer way with Government support and leadership, as well as appropriate policy levers.

VICTORIA

I think we would all agree that there is no shortage of circular economy plans. We’ve had roadmaps, strategies, and now, a national framework. But what’s missing is enforceability. Despite the rhetoric, no government (state or federal) has enacted comprehensive regulation to ensure products entering the Australian market are circular by design or safe for re-entry into the material stream. We do have some hope with the NSW Product Lifecycle Act 2025, but as yet no other state has said they will be adopting this.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Further there has been no real progress towards national legislation that compels producers to make their products safer, more durable, and more easily repairable, or to take any responsibility when they are not. This includes the review of the Federal Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020, which was done under the cover of an election with no update on future direction or how it will in fact provide this necessary national framework.

This paradox, going forwards while going backwards, is a symptom of systems that incentivise throughput, not reuse. And unless we address this foundational problem through policy and regulation, our circular economy will remain circular in name only.

Victoria has arguably been the most active and earnest in supporting the industry post-China, with two (2) relief packages announced to support the recycling industry, valued at a total of $37 million. The Victorian Government has also gone above and beyond all others states by announcing it would take a leadership role in creating market demand for recycled products.

NEW SOUTH WALES

This is not a “lack of awareness” problem. It is a

Right now, none of this is mandatory in Australia. We have seen firsthand that voluntary approaches and even alleged ‘co-regulatory’ like what Australia has for packaging, do not get there, given the lack of level playing field or enforceable obligations.

COMMONWEALTH

Amid national discussions of productivity reform and the Economic Reform Roundtable in August 2025, circularity is rarely mentioned. But if we are serious about aligning with planetary boundaries, material productivity – not just labour productivity – must also take centre stage. Designing systems to reuse, repair, and regenerate materials is not a niche concern, it is an economic imperative. Linear material throughput is not just wasteful, it’s risky. It makes Australia more vulnerable to supply chain shocks, energy volatility, and climate impacts. Improving material productivity means:

And the reality is, as WMRR has said a million times before, the circular economy cannot sit within the environment portfolio alone. It must be a whole-ofgovernment transformation that recognises what we do is about economics and industry, not just environment. If the Australian government is bona fide in its commitment to increase productivity, we must embed circular principles across:

• Government at all levels taking real action to require public procurement to favour local recycled materials, circular-ready and repairable products;

Government announced a $12.4 million support package comprising $2 million of additional expenditure, $5 million additional funding for a loan scheme, together with targeted funding from the Green Industries SA budget. The Government has also o ered grants for recycling infrastructure.

At rst glance, New South Wales’ eye-watering $47 million recycling support package was heralded as the spark of hope industry needed. However, on closer inspection, the bulk of this package that was funded via the Waste Less, Recycle More initiative and therefore the waste levy, was not new, making it very di cult for stakeholders, including local government, to utilise the funds as they were already committed to other activities. Some of the criteria proposed by the NSW EPA also made it challenging for industry to apply to these grants. On the plus side,

• investing in and supporting remanufacturing and reverse logistics infrastructure;

• incentivising business models based on service, not ownership (i.e. product-as-a-service); and

AHEAD OF MEM 2

• embedding circular principles into industrial design, product stewardship, and trade policy.

Australia’s approach to circularity has, until now, leaned heavily on education, co-regulation, and voluntary stewardship schemes. While important, these approaches cannot replace baseline national standards. Voluntary schemes, especially those without performance-based targets, leave us with patchy outcomes and low consumer trust. The reality is: without regulation, bad actors continue business as usual, while responsible producers are left carrying

• Climate policy (material efficiency reduces emissions);

• industry and innovation (to support circular manufacturing);

• health and safety (to phase out hazardous materials);

• housing and infrastructure (circular construction standards); and

industry however the Queensland Government has embarked on the development of a waste management strategy underpinned by a waste disposal levy to increase recycling and recovery and create new jobs. The State will re-introduce a $70/ tonne land ll levy in March 2019. There are also strong attempts to use policy levers (levy discounts and exemptions) to incentivise the use of recycled material and make it cost competitive with virgin material. However, little has been done establish new markets and Government has not taken the lead in the procurement of recycled material. There are grants available for resource recovery operations in Queensland although no monies have been allocated to assist in 2018. This troubling as Queensland rolled out its Container Refund Scheme on 1 November, which will likely impact the cost and revenue models of the State’s MRFs – as have seen most recently in NSW.

The Western Australian Government set up a Waste Taskforce in direct response the China National Sword. As part of this announcement, the State Government urged all local councils to begin the utilisation of a three (3)-bin system - red general waste, yellow for recyclables and green for organic waste - over the coming years to reduce contamination. While this taskforce is a step in the right direction, we are yet to see any tangible results from it or any funding for industry. In October, the WA Waste Authority released its draft Waste Strategy to 2030, which comprises a comprehensive and detailed roadmap towards the State’s shared vision becoming a sustainable, low-waste, circular economy.

Following the MEM in April, Australia now has a new Federal Environment Minister, Melissa Price, who in October reiterated to media MEM’s commitment to explore waste to energy as part of the solution to the impacts of China’s National Sword, which is troubling (EfW is not a solution to recycling). The Commonwealth also backed the Australian Recycling Label and endorsed the National Packaging Targets developed by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), which has to date, failed to incorporate industry feedback in the development of these targets. To the Commonwealth’s credit, there has been signi cant coordination in reviewing the National Waste Policy, with the Department Environment bringing together industry players and States during the review process.

• education and training (to equip a workforce for repair, reuse, and remanufacture).

This requires strong leadership and cross-portfolio collaboration at all levels of government, not the current siloed approaches, short-term grants, and fragmented strategies. The means that while the December 2024 Circular Economy Framework was a start, it cannot be the endpoint. We must now build the regulatory foundations to make circularity real at all levels of government, which means:

The updated Policy will now go before Environment Ministers on 7 December. Commonwealth can play a key role – one that goes beyond the development of National Waste Policy. WMAA is supportive of the Federal Government maximising the levers it has, including taxation and importation powers, to maintain a strong, sustainable waste and resource recovery industry.

• Setting enforceable design and safety standards.

• Legislating producer responsibility with teeth.

• Measuring progress not just in targets set, but in harmful materials removed and durable systems built.

There may be movement across Australia, with some states doing better than others, but the consensus is, progress is still taking way too long. It is evident there are funds available in almost all States to assist with developing secondary manufacturing infrastructure, however the only way that this will really happen if there is government leadership around mandating recycled content in Australia now, not later.

Workshops and visioning sessions are valuable, but they are no substitute for action.

Let’s hope this term of government is the one where we go from being ‘prepared to regulate’, to finally regulating.

Voluntary schemes like the Used Packaging NEPM, under which APCO is auspiced, are not working. We have 1.6million tonnes of packaging waste in Australia, which needs to be used as an input back into packaging. Barriers to using recycled content in civil infrastructure must be identi ed and removed, and Government must lead in this eld and prefer and purchase recycled material. A tax on virgin material should also be imposed as it is overseas. MEM must show strong leadership on issue. Ministers have, since April, dealt directly with operators and councils are under stress and we

Gayle Sloan, Chief Executive Officer, WMRR

Innovative, Sustainable Waste Management Solutions

Pure Environmental is a wholly Australian-owned company founded with the mission to transform the circular economy through advanced resource recovery. We believe in pushing boundaries and challenging norms in waste management, providing exceptional, innovative, and sustainable solutions.

Innovative, Sustainable Waste Management Solutions

Could public smoking spaces help in the ﬁght against butt litter?

By Shannon Mead

THE PRESENCE of existing rubbish in public spaces offers an unwritten permit for someone to litter. This is the uphill battle that councils and clean-up groups face as they attempt to tackle the scourge of cigarette butts. Butts are often the most reported item of litter across our country and have been noted by the NSW EPA as making up 41 per cent of all reported litter in the state.

If we want to tackle one of the biggest litter issues nationally, we should consider how litter is generated in the first place.

It is reported that up to two thirds of smokers do not dispose of their cigarette butts correctly. While acknowledging that this could be due to the absence of clearly signed infrastructure in some locations, it is all too common for butts to be dropped into drains, flicked into garden beds and wedged in between the slats on park benches in a dangerous cocktail of convenience and carelessness.

In an attempt to promote cleaner air and encourage quitting, the settings where smokers can now enjoy a quick ciggie have reduced over the past couple of decades. There is a need for this to be reviewed continually, not only through a public health lens, but also in consideration of the protection of our environment.

Despite introducing restrictions into dining areas and announcing exclusion areas around children’s playgrounds and bus stops, there is

•

• Grants

• Organics

• Education

• Auditing

•

“It is time that the state and local governments consider introducing smoking spaces in targeted areas.”

Above: As butts break up, they create plastic microfibres, which can make their way into the food stream. Image: Will Day/shutterstock.com

no law that prevents smokers from lighting up on every one of our beautiful beaches. It is true that states have their own laws that prevent smoking between the flags (and for many, 50 metres either side) on patrolled beaches. Queensland also prohibits smoking between dawn and dusk on specific artificial beaches and some councils have gone further to designate specific beaches to be smoke-free, such as Bondi Beach among several others in NSW. Unfortunately, smoking on non-patrolled beaches, just outside of the red and yellow flags, or in hours of darkness still allows some smokers the opportunity to use our beaches as an ash tray.

Cigarette butts are plastic and contain up to 7,000 chemicals. As the butts break up over a period of up to 15 years, they create thousands of plastic microfibres, which can make their way into the food stream and onto our plates. Allowing smoking just a quick flick from the water’s edge can unfortunately wash the problem away.

Having lived in Singapore, smoking is banned in major outdoor shopping precincts and streets, with smokers being corralled with signage down specific side roads into marked zones where dedicated bins are provided to capture their cigarette butt after the last drag. If we jump across to Japan, it is common to see enclosed smoking booths on footpaths and sidewalks (think of a large phone booth), which serves a similar purpose. These measures not only ensure that the second and third-hand smoke is limited, but it also provides an opportunity to restrict litter and ensure more

efficient cleaning and waste management.

It is time that the state and local governments consider introducing smoking spaces in targeted areas. There have been recent consultations about restricting areas where you can spark up across Australia, with the Queen Victoria market in Melbourne going smoke-free in September of 2024. These kinds of moves should be applauded but do need to be implemented in conjunction with signed, designated outdoor smoking areas (like the ones we see at sporting arenas).

Many smokers are still seemingly unaware that they are inhaling their tobacco through a piece of plastic and consequently do not believe that flicking their cigarette onto the ground is considered littering. Rather than putting up no littering signs every five metres, by offering a smoking space with appropriate infrastructure, excuses become redundant. Although education should always be the

primary focus, after an extended grace period, local enforcement officers could also be activated to fine smokers who smoke in areas where it is prohibited or litter their cigarette butts anywhere. Revenue could go towards offsetting the costs associated with dealing with cigarette butt litter.

If the introduction of smoking spaces is not something that the various levels of government are willing to consider in the future, there should at least be a consideration by all councils, or the state government to make all Australian beaches smoke-free. Not only will it provide a more enjoyable experience for other beach goers, but the environment will clearly benefit.

Shannon Mead is the founder and Executive Director of No More Butts, a volunteer-run Australian-based environmental charity, and an international subjectmatter expert on the issue of tobacco waste.

How FOGO is ﬁnding its place in Australia’s MUDs and RFBs

By: James Cosgrove and Mike Ritchie, MRA Consulting Group

In 2025, Australians are getting serious about food waste; and it’s not just limited to suburban dwellings. Across the country, important steps are being taken in high-rise apartments, unit blocks, and townhouses with the goal to make food and garden organics (FOGO) recycling a part of everyday life.

For several years now, kerbside collection for single dwellings (standalone homes), where food scraps and garden clippings are turned into compost instead of being disposed to landfill, has been recognised as the obvious and simplest target for rolling out FOGO.

However, FOGO in multi-unit dwellings (MUDs – e.g. townhouses and residential flat buildings (RFBs)) has proven a stubborn challenge for proposed, new, and existing medium to high-density living. Space constraints, limited bin access, high turnover of residents, and the risk of contamination are some of the key challenges for organics recycling in Australia’s ever densifying and vertically growing population centres. Organics in landfill breaks down anaerobically (without oxygen) to generate methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. Methane is 28 times more “carbon forcing” (powerful in causing climate change) than carbon dioxide. As such organics in landfill generates about 3 per cent of Australia’s total greenhouse emissions.

Households generate about 30 per cent of total food waste and most of this ends up in landfill at present. This equals around 2.5 million tonnes of food waste per year.

High density, higher stakes

MUDs make up a growing share of Australia’s housing landscape, especially in cities like Sydney and

Melbourne. According to the 2021 Census, approximately 30 per cent of dwellings across the country were made up of townhouses (13 per cent) and apartments (16 per cent). With organic waste accounting for more than one-third of municipal solid waste (MSW) sent to landfill, getting MUDs on board is essential if we want to hit national greenhouse gas (and waste diversion) targets. Driving change is a mix of policy, development principles, and innovation.

NSW sets the bar

Early this year, the NSW Government passed the Protection of the Environment Legislation Amendment (FOGO Recycling) Act 2025, which requires all councils to provide FOGO collection to every household, including those in apartments and other multi-unit dwellings, by July 2030 .

To help councils meet this deadline, the state has committed $81 million through its FOGO Fund. Importantly, $4 million of that is reserved specifically for tackling the unique challenges of MUDs. That funding supports everything from installing new bins and kitchen caddies to producing multilingual signage and running hands-on workshops in apartment complexes. Supporting the push towards designing for not only FOGO, but effective waste management principles overall, are changes to planning measures such as BASIX (NSW) and Sustainable Design Assessments (Vic) that now include provisions to encourage or require waste planning, which includes organics diversion infrastructure.

Also, in February 2025, the NSW EPA released the NSW Guide to best practice FOGO, which serves as a “step-by-step guide for NSW councils to introduce FOGO kerbside collection services”. It includes an overview of a best practice system and how to implement it from planning to ongoing delivery. The guidelines also contain guidance and spotlight case

studies on the implementation of FOGO services in MUDs and RFBs. While this represents a positive contribution to the transition to FOGO, ongoing support will be required leading up to the 2030 deadline to ensure effective outcomes are achieved for MUDs. This is more than just a bin drop. Councils are learning that the key to success in MUDs is long-term commitments in implementation and community engagement. That means offering education and training, as well as offering tailored solutions to individual buildings. Introducing FOGO without proper community engagement has led to some spectacular own goals (including one Council with 6,000 people on a Facebook page called “We hate the *** FOGO service”) and contamination rates of 20 per cent plus. Getting engagement right, matters.

Thinking outside the bin

What does a good FOGO program look like in MUDs and RFBs? Unsurprisingly, the answer to this golden question is – it depends. The obvious solution for a new high-rise tower is plainly different from a 1960s two storey walk-up. Answering this question is unilaterally the most common dilemma shared by council waste managers tasked with figuring out their new FOGO service. Let’s begin with the basics. Everything starts with a small benchtop caddy provided to residents, complete with compostable liners and clear instructions on use. From there, food scraps are transferred to shared organics bins in a secure bin room located on each occupied level or in a centralised room on the ground floor or basement. Some modern MUDs are introducing dedicated chutes for food bags or designing for waste chutes to allow for both Waste and Food with a selector button and high-speed diverter.

Existing developments face a more complicated challenge. Solutions can include reconfiguring bin

space within existing bin rooms/enclosures or adding organics bins in an accessible location (such as communal open space or garden). Of course, effects on amenity must be kept front of mind.

MRA assists councils and project owners across the development sector and we have seen a wide range of approaches. Councils have played with different bin sizes, variable collection days, special services, dedicated food-only collections, weekly and fortnightly collections, larger and smaller residual bin sizes and the like. Councils in other countries have allowed Insinkerators as an alternative collection system. Many water authorities are stridently against in-sink food processors as they put more pressure on the sewerage system.

Where council services may not be available, or the systems required are beyond council scope of delivery, then private operators may have a solution. This can include small vehicle collection trucks, on-site composting and dehydrators, automated return-tobase signalling of bin fullness, weight-based sensors and variable pricing arrangements that incentivise diversion and capture of food waste. While physical infrastructure is important, engagement and behaviour change, is no less so. Effective and realistic engagement includes:

• Providing easy access to tailored, multilingual resources and workshops to educate residents about separating food waste.

• Clear, visual signage on how to separate waste at

source – including site-specific instructions on how to engage with the waste management system.

• Ongoing support from councils for site waste champions, and strata/owners corporations.

• Coordinating regular audits to track participation and contamination.

We need to get the infrastructure and the engagement right to achieve:

• Higher organics capture rates;

• lower contamination rates; and

• happy residents.

Some lessons from the early adopters

Established services in Penrith and Lake Macquarie regions, and pilots across key metropolitan councils, have shown that when FOGO is done right, even in apartments/MUDs and other dense urban settings, contamination rates can be as low as 2 per cent. The trick is to make FOGO feel easy, worthwhile and not forced. That means effective education including a clear message around the benefits of FOGO programs like cleaner waste rooms, fewer odours, as well as contribution to sustainable outcomes such as slowing climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. Some early movers have adopted “opt in” services (residents or even buildings opting in or out of FOGO services). This can reduce contamination rates. Others have adopted a “Two Step dance” approach (MRA term). That is, deferring any changes to the red bin collection frequency or size, until the FOGO system is

embedded and working well. Some have deferred red bin changes for a year or two. Many early adopters have offered free compost to residents as an engagement exercise. Some buildings are using access cards to track and improve compliance. Many councils are supporting neighbourhood-level composting hubs to both engage with residents and reduce the need for bin storage at the building itself.

Looking ahead

FOGO in MUDs will always be challenging – for policy makers, project owners, developers and residents. High turnover of residents means education must be ongoing and tailored. Building infrastructure (especially older buildings) will continue to challenge a one-size-fits-all approach.

Food capture rates will always be lower in MUDs than SUDs. But what we have learnt already is that well-run programs do not have to have higher contamination rates and can deliver significant food capture. With legislation in place, dedicated funding on the table, and engagement by communities to embrace the change, organics recycling in MUDs is moving from pilot projects to permanent practice.

It will enter the Australian zeitgeist, in the same way that the recycling yellow bin has become part of who we are and what we do. As more residents learn to separate their food scraps from their rubbish, the country takes another step toward a more circular, more sustainable future.

Collecting FOGO in multi-unit dwellings has proven a stubborn challenge. Image: Ekkasit A Siam /shutterstock.com

High-capacity, all-weather organics screening performance

SINCE ITS LAUNCH in Australia 18 months ago, the Eggersmann S60 Starscreen has established itself as a premium piece of kit in the organics recycling sector. Achieving double-digit sales within the first year, the S60 has been embraced by composting and mulching operators across the country.

Following the success of the wheeled variant, the tracked version of the S60 made its debut at the 2025 Australian Organics Recycling Association (AORA) Conference Demo Day—sponsored by SKALA Environmental. Held at the Summerhill Waste Management Centre in Newcastle, NSW, the event showcased the S60 Tracked Starscreen in action, alongside the Z50 slowspeed shredder and the T60 Tracked Trommel Screen.

Production, production, production

For large-scale processors of compost, mulch, and timber waste, the S60 delivers high-capacity, threefraction screening in a single, compact machine. Traditionally, achieving this level of throughput required multiple machines, such as trommels, resulting in higher operating costs, increased maintenance, and a larger site footprint.

The S60 eliminates the need for a multi-machine setup, requiring only one-third of the site area compared to conventional screening trains.

“A key attraction of the S60 is its all-weather capability,” said Craig Cosgrove, director at SKALA Environmental. “We regularly meet compost operators who are constrained by inefficient screening technology

during the wetter months. The S60 changes all that.”

The S60 has proven valuable in high-rainfall regions, where traditional screening systems often halt operations due to wet material. With the S60, sites can maintain year-round compost production, regardless of weather conditions.

Enhancing bottom line and profitability

“There’s a common misconception that star screens have higher operating costs than simpler technologies like trommels,” says Cosgrove. “However, when you factor in throughput, uptime, labour, fuel or electricity, and maintenance, our experience shows the S60 offers a significantly lower total cost of ownership.”

While trommels still have their place in certain applications, for operators needing high-capacity, reliable screening in limited space and variable weather, the S60 presents a compelling solution.

The S60’s success is underpinned by intelligent

engineering that prioritises operational efficiency and ease of maintenance. Key features include:

• Reliable belt feeder infeed system.

• Quick-change screening shafts – replaceable in minutes, individually.

• Robust electrical system.

• Hybrid Power Option – enhancing fuel efficiency and environmental performance.

Green Care Mulching expands Eggersmann fleet

Family-owned and operated, Green Care Mulching is a specialist in green waste processing, offering a suite of services including shredding, screening, and composting. With a strong focus on innovation and sustainability, the company continues to invest in advanced technologies to meet evolving industry standards and customer expectations.

Already operating an S60, Green Care was quick to secure Australia’s first tracked unit before it even arrived in the country.

“We’ve invested in several Eggersmann machines now,” says Tom Norton, general manager at Green Care. “Both Eggersmann and SKALA have supported us exceptionally well with after-sales service, spare parts, and technical expertise.”

Following the AORA conference, Green Care deployed the tracked S60 directly to Tasmania to demonstrate its capabilities to clients. The machine was tested on wet compost from in-vessel tunnels and outdoor windrows in Northern Tasmania’s cold, damp conditions, with outstanding results.

Tasmanian trial results:

• Moisture Content: >40 per cent.

• Blockages: None.

• Production Rate: 180 m³/hour at just 50 per cent capacity.

“The S60 performed flawlessly, even in challenging conditions,” Norton said. “It’s a reliable, high-output solution that gives us a competitive edge.”

S60 Starscreen screens up to 300m3/hour. Images: SKALA Environmental.

The Skala Environmental/Eggersmann Team at AORA 2025.

Bridging the experience gap

WHEN ROB MCGAHEY, director of Optimal Site Performance, stepped away from his long career in equipment and landfill management, he did not plan to launch a consultancy. But a short-term project with Cleanaway during the 2022 Brisbane floods made him realise how much deep, operational knowledge was vanishing from the waste industry — and how few people were coming through to replace it.

That realisation became the starting point for Optimal Site Performance, a consultancy focused on practical, hands-on solutions for landfill, transfer station and resource recovery operators. After managing major landfill operations in Australia and Hong Kong, and spending 17 years with Caterpillar in waste-focused roles, McGahey saw a widening gap between what operators were being asked to do and the foundational knowledge they had to draw on.

At its core, the business helps sites understand what “good” looks like. That applies whether a client is seeking better compaction, lower costs or simply more effective collaboration between workers. The offering goes beyond machine operation to include coaching, analysis, site assessments and informal technical support — all with the goal of helping clients embed better thinking and better outcomes across their operations.

According to McGahey, a concern is how often inexperienced operators are placed straight onto milliondollar equipment without sufficient grounding. He notes that traditional learning pathways have disappeared, meaning operators now enter the job without a clear understanding of what they’re meant to achieve.

“Nowadays, operators come into a landfill or

a transfer station, and they might get put on a brand-new dozer, yet they don’t even know what a good job would look like, or how to look after this big dollar investment they are now operating,” he said.

Rather than delivering textbook-style inductions, Optimal Site Performance focuses on coaching operators, helping them understand not only how a machine works, but why it needs to be used in a certain way. McGahey is cautious about using the word ‘training’, preferring ‘coaching’ to remove the stigma of corrective supervision.

“We turn up on site, and we take operators through all levels of machine operations, how to conduce effective pre start inspections and understanding how the machine works and how it’s designed, then actually doing the work, and finally, understanding what they’re actually trying to achieve at the end of the day,” he said.

That clarity of purpose, being able to visualise the end goal before beginning a task, is something McGahey sees as fundamental. Without it, he says, performance becomes guesswork, and productivity suffers.

Beyond the operator level, the company works with site managers and teams to uncover the root causes of inefficiency. This starts by identifying whether problems are genuine or simply perceptions.

“There are certain problems on site that, when we go and look at them, they aren’t problems. They’re excuses,” said McGahey.

The company supports clients in distinguishing between noise and real issues. Often, productivity and cost overruns stem not from external conditions

but from workflow breakdowns, miscommunication or lack of clarity about what needs to be done. McGahey describes his approach as one of uncovering what is happening, identifying what needs to change, and helping clients measure the value of doing so.

This is where efficiency consulting plays a role. Rather than applying generic templates, Optimal Site Performance tailors its support to the specific problems a site is facing — whether that’s material not reaching target compaction, waste not being placed correctly, or excessive transfer trailer movements due to low density. Waste density is key, not only in a landfill, but also throughout the waste flow process minimising low productivity and excessive operating costs.

“We look at all different aspects of what they’re doing on site, and then we start to make sense of all the noise and work out what’s real and what’s not,” he said.

The company also offers analytical support for sites using GPS-based technologies. While many landfills and transfer stations have invested in GPS compaction systems, McGahey says they are often underutilised or misunderstood.

“A lot of people put these things on the machines, but they don’t necessarily look at them the way they’re supposed to… It doesn’t get better unless you’re looking at the data, understanding what that data is telling you and then making changes based on it.”

McGahey’s background in troubleshooting, combined with years spent observing both best practice and common mistakes, makes him alert to the contrast between perception and performance. He describes three types of reactions from clients: some believe

Optimal Site Performance offers analytical support for sites using GPS-based technologies. Images: Optimal Site Performance.

they’re already doing everything right and don’t want help; others are unsure what’s going wrong and need support diagnosing issues; and a third group knows things could be better and actively seeks help.

“There are the people who say, ‘Yeah, no, we’re right. Move along, nothing to see’. Then we see the people who say, ‘Well, we don’t really understand what is going on out here, can you do a bit of work with us to actually demonstrate it?’” he said.

It’s that second group that particularly benefits from Optimal Site Performance’s assessments. These involve observing a site in action, identifying where inefficiencies lie, and assigning a value to potential improvements. Once clients can quantify the gains, it becomes easier to justify investing in operational change.

While private waste companies typically engage

improve results, councils often approach the business with a learning mindset. McGahey sees a distinct contrast between the motivations of the two sectors.

“Local councils are more focused on understanding what is actually happening,” he said. “What are we supposed to be doing? Yes, they’re focused on cost, but cost isn’t the driver. The service to the community is.”

That shift in focus changes how the work is approached. For councils, McGahey often provides education and system guidance, helping them interpret technical information and understand how to deliver reliable community services. For private operators, the pressure is more often on output, cost, and operational return.

Regardless of the client type, a key difference in Optimal Site Performance’s model is its ongoing

visits and in-person services, much of its value lies in post-engagement support. Clients are encouraged to follow up, ask questions, test assumptions, and use McGahey as a sounding board for operational decisions, even if that support is not attached to a fee.

“We invest a lot of our time, and we don’t get any return on that as far as payment,” he said. “For example, working with a team down in Tasmania last week… I was there to do a certain job, but then I saw opportunities to help them with some of their GPS technology, and some of their maintenance planning and scheduling. We jump into that stuff.”

This level of commitment stands in contrast to more transactional consulting models. The company positions itself not just as a contractor, but as a partner in lifting site capability — helping clients gain the confidence and understanding to make better decisions on their own.

“We come in, help you get better, and then we go. But we’re trying to give you the knowledge to be able to ask questions,” said McGahey.

And when those questions keep coming, McGahey is happy to answer them. Some council clients ring weekly for advice, debriefs or informal sanity checks. In many cases, he said, problems can be resolved with a single conversation — one that might prevent weeks of confusion or poor outcomes.

The emphasis on knowledge transfer is deliberate. For McGahey, the consultancy is not just about solving today’s problems, it is about preserving and passing on operational experience and helping a new generation of site staff develop the skills, confidence and mindset needed to improve outcomes over time.

That gap — the one between high-cost machinery and underprepared operators — is where Optimal Site Performance has found its role. In a sector where efficiency, safety, and cost control depend on getting thousands of small details right, McGahey’s offering

McGahey (red hard hat) works with site managers and teams to uncover the root causes of inefficiency.

Optimal Site Performance focuses on coaching operators, helping them understand how a machine works.

Inside JOEST’s recycling solutions

FOUNDED IN 1919 , JOEST is a global, family-owned business with a strong engineering pedigree.

Pronounced “Yoast,” the German name belies a company now deeply embedded in international heavy industry, with global operations.

JOEST Australia, based in Western Australia and celebrating 25 years of operation, was co-founded by director Ian Laws in partnership with the German parent company.

Australia’s strategic importance to the group stems largely from the country’s robust mining sector, which has shaped the product focus locally. While the company’s heritage lies in vibrating equipment, its expansion into the recycling industry reflects a maturing sector and emerging demand for high-performance machinery in waste and resource recovery. JOEST’s experience internationally, particularly in Europe, the US and Japan, provides a blueprint for what’s possible in Australia as infrastructure and interest in recycling continues to grow.

Built for recycling performance

JOEST’s recycling range includes a broad suite of vibrating screens, flip flow screens, finger screens and others, as well as feeders, conveyors and specialised equipment for niche processes.

Among the unique technologies is a line of machines tailored for Waste to Energy bottom ash management, particularly in handling hot box bulk solids from incineration processes.

Also included in the range are zigzag separators, which function similarly to wind sifters. These devices use airflow to separate materials by density as they descend through a zigzag path. Laws said wind sifters are becoming increasingly relevant as facilities look for low-maintenance, cost-effective solutions that occupy a smaller footprint without sacrificing throughput.

One standout in this category is JOEST’s J-Flow Air Separator. Designed for versatility and efficiency, the J-Flow separates lightweight and heavy materials with adjustable airflow and minimal energy use. With a capacity of 5-12 tonnes per hour, it delivers an impressive performance -to-size ratio, making it suitable for spaceconstrained plants that still require industrialgrade processing power.

“The J-Flow is quite innovative in that it’s a small footprint and quite an effective, low-cost wind shifting option,” said Laws.

The J-Flow exemplifies JOEST’s engineering ethos – high performance through compact, intelligent design. Created to meet the needs of smaller, more

flexible processing operations, it stands apart from bulkier, traditional wind sifters. For recycling operators looking to reduce equipment sprawl while maintaining precision separation, the J-Flow offers a refined solution.

“The J-Flow was designed to do the job of historically larger, more expensive machines that take up a lot of space,” Laws said. “It’s a simplified, innovative solution, which has a relatively small footprint compared to some of the competitors in that particular product.”

As recycling streams diversify, particularly across municipal waste and construction and demolition material, machines like the J-Flow become even more relevant. With adaptability at the core of its design, it meets a range of waste handling needs without the complexity and capital outlay typically associated with larger equipment.

Expanded offering through acquisition

Further enhancing JOEST’s portfolio is its acquisition of Mogensen, a company with a complementary line of vibrating machinery. This strategic addition, completed 18 months ago, expands JOEST’s capabilities and offers customers greater flexibility in tailoring equipment to specific applications.

JOEST provides equipment that offers high performance through compact, intelligent design. Images: JOEST

paired directly with JOEST equipment, they fill functional gaps in the broader product suite. Laws sees this as a natural extension of the company’s strategy. “It’s a product range that adds to the experience and the depth of the equipment that JOEST can offer,” he said.

Crucially, JOEST does not position itself as a plant builder or turnkey provider. Instead, it focuses on manufacturing high-quality, specialist machinery that integrates seamlessly into larger systems – offering customers not just machinery, but also system solutions. Those systems, typically designed and built by third-party contractors or engineering firms, rely on durable, performancetested components, something JOEST consistently delivers.

Back-up where it counts

Quality and reliability are at the heart of JOEST’s product philosophy, but Laws is quick to emphasise the company’s commitment to service. He sees this as a major differentiator in an industry where unplanned downtime can have financial impacts.

“We know that keeping machines running in good health is vital to plant performance and productivity,” he said. “That’s an area where we’ve put a lot of focus; making sure we have trained technical people available to support the product when it is needed.”

“It’s a simplified, innovative solution, which has a relatively small footprint compared to some of the competitors in that particular product.”

In addition to its Western Australia base, JOEST operates a service and warehouse facility in Newcastle, New South Wales. This East Coast outpost is strategically located to ensure proximity to clients from Brisbane to Melbourne, offering both logistical efficiency and rapid response times.

The combination of German engineering, robust design and local service backing allows JOEST to maintain a reputation for reliability across all product categories. Though competitively priced at the higher end of the market, Laws believes the quality and longevity of JOEST machines more than justify the investment.

Ready for Australia’s recycling future

JOEST is positioning itself for continued growth in the Australian recycling sector, with a keen eye on emerging trends and infrastructure development. The company showcased its J-Flow at the recent ReGen Expo and will be doing the same at the upcoming Waste Expo Australia show in Melbourne with its Flip Flow Screen of the OSCILLA Family. For Laws, it’s an opportunity

not only to connect with clients but also to demonstrate the value of compact, effective equipment in the real world.

He also sees increasing diversification in recycling processes – from municipal waste to commercial streams, construction material, and food or chemical waste – and believes JOEST’s experience across global markets puts it in a strong position to support this growth in Australia.

“Everything we use is, in principle, recyclable,” Laws said. “It’s such a wide range of areas and different technologies used, and our team has experience handling a broad variety of products and materials.”

Whether it’s a complex vibrating screen for high-volume processing or an agile wind sifter like the J-Flow, JOEST continues to push forward with solutions that match Australia’s evolving waste management needs.

Its focus remains on building specialist, efficient equipment designed to last and supported by a team that understands just how critical reliability is in the recycling industry.

JOEST focuses on manufacturing highquality, specialist machinery that integrates seamlessly into larger systems.

Engineered to tackle bulky waste

WASTE INITIATIVES

is offering a Germanengineered solution to bulky waste challenges. Its roll packers, made by Bergmann, are designed to crush and compact oversized materials directly inside skip bins, reducing the frequency of bin pickups and associated costs. Caleb Grimshaw, the company’s sales specialist, explained that the machines come in single bay, multi-bay and mobile models.

“Waste is dropped in by a forklift and the roll packer rolls up and down the bin, breaking the waste into smaller pieces,” he said.

A key feature is the availability of a mobile version, which can be driven across larger sites to compact waste at multiple locations, unlike the fixed units, which are bolted down. Grimshaw described how customers dealing with bulky items like timber crates, pallets, or large cardboard boxes often struggle with standard open skip bins. With no compaction, bins fill with air gaps, which forces more frequent waste collections and increases costs.

“By compacting the waste, they don’t have to send the bin to get emptied as often, which saves them money,” he said.

The machines have proven especially popular in sectors like automotive and heavy equipment logistics. In these industries, parts often arrive in crates too large or awkward to fit into conventional compactors. Waste Initiatives managing director, Dwayne Smith, said the roll packers can handle objects that would never pass through the restricted hopper openings of blade or screw compactors.

“If it can fit in the top of that bin, the roll packer will crush it,” he said. “These machines will even do awkward waste streams like wooden cable drums.”

Designed for power and durability

Each roller weighs 1.2 tonnes and includes a selfcontained motor and hydraulic gearbox. This powers the movement across the bin, enabling it to shred and compress waste as it travels. Despite its force, the machine is remarkably low-maintenance and designed to be durable in high-demand environments.

Routine service is limited to six-monthly checks, and according to Grimshaw, there have been very few issues reported on-site.

“We did a recondition on the hydraulic gearbox

after five and a half years, but it’s not a high-wear machine,” he said.

Beyond power and maintenance, safety and simplicity have been built into the design. Grimshaw noted that many customers previously had staff manually breaking down pallets before loading them into bins.

The roll packers eliminate that task, saving time and improving workplace safety. The machines are automated and operate at the push of a button. They feature protective cages that prevent access to moving parts, making them safe for busy operational sites.

“A forklift driver drops in the waste, pushes the button and drives off,” Grimshaw said. “No one has to stand next to the machine.”

Waste Initiatives also supports its customers with spare parts held in both New South Wales and Victoria. Its technicians can respond across Australia for scheduled servicing or urgent support.

Suited to every site and waste stream

The flexibility of the roll packers allows customers to manage waste according to their specific needs.

The mobile version of the roll packer can be driven across larger sites to compact waste at multiple locations.

Images: Waste Initiatives

“Because we offer solutions for most waste types we are uniquely placed to advise a customer with the right equipment for the job.”

Multi-bay units enable them to segregate materials into separate bins and compact them individually.

Smith explained that at some sites, customers will have one bin each for timber, cardboard and general waste, positioned side by side behind the multi-bay machine.

Grimshaw added that conventional compactors often struggle with materials like cardboard, which can jam in narrow hoppers. The roll packers avoid this because the entire bin serves as the loading space.

“We’ve supplied customers who used to have a compactor for cardboard, and it kept getting jammed,” he said. “They put in a roll packer instead and it worked out great for them.”

The technology is particularly effective for timber, with compaction ratios of up to five to one. Grimshaw gave an example of a customer who previously emptied timber bins weekly. After installing a dual-bay roll packer, they reduced that to once every four to six weeks, with an associated cost savings.

“That would have an ROI of two to three years,” he said.

The machines have also been used at transfer stations. Smith mentioned a mobile unit operating in Queensland that moves between bins, compacting waste before it’s transported.

Value beyond the machine

The cost of these machines is surprisingly lower than expected. Once Waste Initiatives understands the full solution needs of a customer, they provide a scope of work and quotation that includes delivery, installation, commissioning, and staff training.

period depending on site layout and waste volumes but still yield solid savings over time.

looking at three to four years ROI on a mobile roll packer.”

Waste Initiatives ensures the operator is confident with the system before leaving the site. Grimshaw said mobile units offer a longer return

“It’s a little bit hard to say [with regards to savings], because it all comes down to how much waste the customer has on site and how many bins they want to compact,” he said. “But you could be

To minimise downtime, the company stocks a unit ready for immediate dispatch and holds critical spare parts locally to avoid lengthy delays on imports. Smith said customer support and service is a core strength of the business, with a national network of technicians and carefully maintained inventories.

“No one wants to be told your machine’s down and you’re going to have to wait three months while we get the part brought over from Germany,” he said.

He also emphasised that Waste Initiatives offers more than just roll packers. The company supplies a full suite of waste solutions including screw augers, blade compactors, shredders and vertical balers. Its approach is to assess each customer’s needs and recommend the right equipment accordingly.

“We’ll scope out the customer and work out what’s the best solution,” Smith said. “Because we offer solutions for most waste types, we are uniquely placed to advise a customer with the right equipment for the job.”

For clients dealing with bulky waste, especially timber and cardboard, roll packers offer an alternative to traditional compaction methods. With thoughtful engineering, local support and measurable cost savings, they can be a valuable asset in waste reduction across Australia.

Previously staff had to manually break down pallets before loading them into bins.

These crushing machines have proven popular in sectors like heavy equipment logistics.

From waste to resource: a newcomer’s perspective

By Jorja Mounser

STEPPING INTO THE WORLD of regulated waste management for the first time can feel overwhelming. One of the earliest challenges was decoding the industry jargon. I still remember the first time I heard the word spadable, it sounded like an alien language. But it simply means “physically solid and able to be shifted using a spade”. Combine that with strict regulations and the sheer scale of operations and it’s easy to feel like you’re in over your head.

But my recent introduction to the industry presented a unique opportunity: a fresh pair of eyes. And so, I embarked on a guided tour of Pure Environmental’s facilities in Brisbane, more specifically its Narangba and Wacol sites.

What I saw was not just a waste treatment operation; it was a complex, engineered process that turns regulated waste into products that can be safely disposed of or turned into reusable materials.

While visiting Narangba, and after completing a quick safety induction and with my PPE donned, I stood before towering black tanks, pitch-black pits in the ground and a maze of pipes.

Pure Environmental’s Narangba site is clean, well-maintained, and manned by experts.

Pure Enivonrmental’s Narangba site specialises in the treatment of complex liquid waste, particularly oily and inky wastewaters. Images: Pure Environmental

treatment, and separation in order to get rid of oils, inks, and other impurities.

Waste classification is the first step of this process. Each new batch of waste that comes through is tested to determine its composition and the best course of treatment. After that, the waste passes through a series of tanks and separators where oils are skimmed off, solids settle, and water is treated with reagents. The result is clean water that satisfies strict discharge regulations.

it leaves their premises. The generator remains accountable for its entire journey, from creation to final disposal.

This means that if a waste contractor mishandles your waste, you could still be liable. Various federal, state and local state government regulators have the power to issue fines and enforce clean-up orders, even if the generator acted in good faith. That’s why due diligence is critical.

In conclusion

My visit to Pure Environmental was more than an introduction to waste management, it served as a wake-up call. Waste is not just a by-product; it’s a responsibility. And in the hands of the right partner, it can even become a resource.

The larger Wacol facility complements Narangba’s operations, handling other waste streams and offering additional capacity for water waste. Together, these locations work together to create a network that supports Queensland’s industry while protecting sure waste is disposed of properly does not end when

Selecting a trustworthy waste partner like Pure is not just smart but necessary. Its employees are trained to handle hazardous materials, its facilities licensed, and its procedures as a whole are documented.

As companies all over Australia struggle with environmental compliance, social expectations, and operational risks, it’s time to take waste seriously. Recognise your responsibilities. Conduct proper assessments. Select compliant and transparent partners. And remember: your responsibility doesn’t end at the bin, it continues all the way into the ground.

Contaminants are separated, treated, and then either safely disposed of or prepared to be used again.

A new mobile solution for regional processors

CSS RECYCLING, which is an agent for Ecostar screening technology, will soon launch the Nhexa: a dynamic disc screen unit. According to Neil Coyle, director of CSS, the Nhexa represents a rethinking of traditional star screen technology.

“It’s the same dynamic disc screening technology they’ve been using for years,” he said, “but now on a new mobile platform.”

The key to its more accessible price point lies in its manufacturing process. Ecostar has partnered with a manufacturer of mobile undercarriage systems. This partner, although not from the waste sector, will handle supply of the mobile platform, after which Ecostar will install its screen systems.

While the Nhexa is slightly smaller than its predecessor, it retains a high production throughput. It is expected to open new opportunities, especially in regional and small-scale operations where budgets are tighter, but screening capability and production is essential.

“Traditionally, smaller operators are stuck buying trommel screens because that’s all they can afford,” said Coyle. “But trommels don’t work in all conditions – wet materials, wire-based products, wrapping materials, anything that clogs up the barrel. Many customers in organics and general waste are looking for something more versatile and efficient. Nhexa is designed to screen difficult material types, including wet compost and wrapping materials, while maintaining mobility and speed.”

Bringing value without cutting corners

What sets the Nhexa apart is not just its price but its adaptability. The unit will arrive in Australia on tracks and is remote-controlled, allowing it to compete directly with traditional trommel and vibration

screens in terms of mobility and ease of use.

Unlike trommels or vibrating screens, which lose efficiency depending on material density and moisture, the Nhexa moves materials across the screening surface in a conveyor-like fashion. The screens use Hardox steel components rather than rubber or plastic (star screens), which reduces wear and lowers operating costs.

“They have a very high production capability with a low operating cost,” said Coyle. “That’s what makes them so attractive.”

Throughput will naturally vary depending on the material being processed. Dense material will have high tonnage rates, while lighter products will yield less. CSS avoids making bold claims on fixed outputs.

“I just say high throughput,” Coyle said. “Very high throughput.”

The ability to deliver this kind of performance

while staying in the $500,000 to $550,000 price bracket is what makes Nhexa stand out. Its Parent (HEXTRA) model retailed at around $800,000, while similar star screen units can cost up to $1.2 million.

Another factor that distinguishes CSS is its national servicing capability. As a division of OneTrak, CSS has access to staffed branches in every Australian state, including Tasmania. This provides reassurance to customers that support, training and parts are always available locally. Coyle spends much of his time on the road, training staff in OneTrak’s branches and ensuring that they understand CSS’s equipment, applications and servicing needs. He believes local support can make or break a sale.

“If you’re buying an $800,000 piece of kit,” he said, “you want to know someone’s there when you need them.”

He noted that lack of support from previous suppliers has pushed many customers to look elsewhere. CSS aims to fill that gap with strong after-sales service, training, and local technical expertise.

A plan for growth and market penetration

The Nhexa has recently launched globally, and the first demonstration unit is expected to arrive in Australia by the end of the calendar year. CSS intends to showcase the machine to several key customers who have already expressed interest. By introducing stock units into the country, the company aims to support its broader growth strategy and establish case studies to drive further uptake.

“Recently, we placed an order for stock machines,” said Coyle. “That’s a big shift for us. Until now, we have largely operated on a per-order basis. Moving to a stock model signals confidence in the product and commitment to meeting market demand without delays.”

The company anticipates selling multiple units within the current financial year. With the financial year already underway and the product still en route, it is a modest target but one that Coyle sees as realistic and strategic.

CSS also sees the Nhexa as a smart response to the ongoing issue of imported equipment that fails to meet Australian standards. Machines brought in from overseas often require expensive modifications to comply with local road and safety regulations.

“People end up spending an extra $30,000 or $50,000 just to get them registered,” said Coyle. “In some cases, modifications push the total cost beyond what it would have been to buy compliant equipment in the first place.”

For Coyle, this reinforces the importance of choosing equipment that not only performs but is properly supported and fit for local conditions. CSS has structured its business plan accordingly, incorporating flexible finance options and working with manufacturers who understand the specific demands of the Australian waste and recycling sector.

With the Nhexa, CSS is confident it has a product that will resonate in a tight market. Lower capital outlay, superior screening technology, and national service coverage combine to create a compelling value proposition.

“There’s a solid business plan behind this,” said Coyle. “We’re not just hoping they’ll sell. We’re making sure they will.”

The Nhexa moves materials across the screening surface in a conveyor-like fashion. Image: CSS Recycling

The unit’s screens use Hardox steel components rather than rubber or plastic.

B-cycle 2.0: What it will take to stop battery ﬁres

By Libby Chaplin, CEO, B-cycle

BATTERIES ARE ESSENTIAL to our modern lives, but when they end up in general waste and recycling streams, they become a threat to people, trucks, infrastructure and the environment. Australia sees nearly 30 battery-related fires every day. Waste collection vehicles are burning. Workers are being harmed.

Australia’s official battery stewardship Scheme, B-cycle, has come a long way. The Scheme has been supported by battery importers who have contributed more than $50 million in levies. More than 80 per cent of these levies have been directed to the recycling sector, enabling the diversion of more than 7 million kilograms of batteries from the general waste and recycling streams. B-cycle is highly accessible, with 95 per cent of Australians living within 15 minutes of one of the more than 5,400 drop-off points nationwide.

However, as a voluntary Scheme, our ability to address these challenges is limited. The support of responsible importers is essential. However, this is being undermined by free riders. These free riders contribute nothing while their batteries end up in the same bins and trucks, leaving gaps in infrastructure, underfunded education and unnecessary risks for waste workers and communities. Encouragingly, the journey towards mandatory battery stewardship is underway in NSW, with other states expected to follow. This leadership will make a real difference and pave the way for national alignment, closing the remaining gaps and building a safer, more sustainable system.

What B-cycle 2.0 will do better

B-cycle 2.0 has been designed to fairly reflect the risks and recovery costs of different battery types, however it relies on regulation to be fully implemented. Higher-risk chemistries like lithiumion would attract higher levies, which would fund safer collection, transport, and public awareness. With the support of regulation, the Battery Stewardship Council (BSC) could leverage its existing network to cover a broader range of household batteries, be they loose, removeable, or embedded.

The Scheme design is the result of industry feedback and involves an annual review process to help mitigate evolving risks, cover costs of forecast collections and adapt to economic fluctuations.

The goal is to build a robust, self-sustaining system that prevents fires, protects people and safeguards the environment.

It will drive investment in public education, and equip B-cycle participants with the tools, funding and support needed to achieve sustainable and scalable success.

The important role of industry and government

Free riders must step up and pay their fair share. This can only be achieved through mandatory participation in battery stewardship, ensuring all importers take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products.

To build a truly safe and sustainable system, Australia must also prohibit the export of used batteries to keep recycling safe, traceable, and local. Well-designed regulation can deliver efficiencies

for government and empower industry-led best practice, including strict storage and transport protocols for lithium batteries.

At the same time, we need to showcase and scale the successes already achieved by industry and foster strategic alliances across government, industry, councils, and communities to deliver consistent funding, infrastructure, and public engagement.

The foundation is already in place. What’s needed now is leadership, to close the gaps, eliminate free riders, and future-proof the system.

What

every Australian can do

While policy and regulation are critical, everyday actions still matter. A single battery can ignite a waste or recycling truck. But simple acts such as taping terminals and dropping off batteries at a B-cycle accredited drop-off point, can prevent a fire, protect a driver, and keep waste services running. That starts with awareness:

• Buying good quality batteries.

• Recognising which products contain batteries, such as toys, greeting cards or toothbrushes.

• Following manufacturers charging instructions.

• Never putting used batteries in general waste or recycling bins.

• Taking used batteries to a B-cycle Drop off point.

Australia has the chance to get this right. The groundwork is in place. Now we need full participation, smart regulation, and shared responsibility. By working together, we can accelerate change and reduce the risk of fires.

Batteries end up in bins and trucks and cause unnecessary risks for waste workers and communities. Image: Cleanaway.

Extracting value from ASR ﬁnes

AS WASTE LEVIES RISE, metal recyclers are seeking new ways to unlock the hidden value in auto shredder residue. Auto shredder residue (ASR) is often viewed as the end of the line in metal recovery, but Jonathan Schulberg, business development manager of heavy industry APAC at Eriez, sees it differently.

“There’s still a high volume of metals encapsulated and trapped in the ASR,” Schulberg said. “With landfill levies in New South Wales and Victoria recently rising by $40 a tonne, that leftover material has become too valuable to ignore.”

Eriez is a company that specialises in equipment that can help companies maximise the amount of nonferrous metals they can recover from a waste stream. At the heart of the system is a fines recovery circuit aimed at capturing non-ferrous metals in the minus-15-millimetre size fraction. Traditionally difficult to recover due to its fine particle size and density, this fraction contains copper wire, aluminium, and other valuable non-ferrous metals that often escape traditional separation methods.

The system involves three pieces of equipment that work together to target this problematic size range.

“It’s an insurance policy to recover all metals and get all the value you can,” Schulberg said. “ On average ASR waste may still contain five to six per cent of residual non-ferrous metals by weight, but in less optimised non-ferrous recovery circuits this figure can rise as high as 15 per cent residual metals. With bulk densities approaching 1.8 tonnes per cubic metre, even a small percentage of recoverable metal translates into substantial value.”

A key reason for targeting the minus-15-millimetre fraction of the ASR waste streams is the high cost of sending the material to landfill. The fine nature of the material means it can impregnate or become encapsulated by surrounding floc/fluff or ferritic dirt. Schulberg noted that the Eriez circuit is designed to recover this material, removing unwanted debris to isolate metals. In short, it helps operators realise the full value of a product they have already paid to process –and which they are now paying to dispose of again.

Online, offline or both

The fines recovery circuit can be implemented in two distinct ways, depending on the operator’s space,

process setup, and strategic priorities. Schulberg described these as online and offline configurations.

“If you’ve got the space, you can run it online with your existing process. If not, you can collect your ASR and run it through a secondary process,” he said.

Running the circuit online means incorporating it into the main plant flow. This suits larger facilities with room to spare and a steady feed of ASR material. Conversely, offline operation works well for plants with stockpiles of ASR or intermittent processing needs.

“They’ll set up the equipment in a different section of the yard and run it ad hoc as material builds up,” Schulberg said.

Some operators may even replace their existing non-ferrous recovery line entirely with Eriez’s solution, expanding from three to four machines in the circuit and extending their recovery window from the 70millimetre-plus range down to one millimetre. Schulberg noted that regardless of the setup, the goal is the same: extract as much remaining value from the ASR as possible before it leaves the site for landfill.

A consideration that needs to be taken into account is the type of waste processed through the shredder. If

The recovery unit relies on Eriez’s magnetic separation technology. Images: Eriez

a plant is running low volumes or processing material with lower non-ferrous content, payback periods may be longer.

“The return on investment depends on the customer’s process load,” said Schulberg. “Material composition can vary widely – from 85 per cent ferrous metals to just 10 or 12 per cent non-ferrous – and each of those percentages affects how much value is locked up in the residue.”

Dynamic separation and testing for precision

The recovery circuit relies on Eriez’s magnetic separation technology, with a key component being the dynamic pulley separator. This equipment removes 25-millimetre-minus ferrous particles from the residual stream, including ferritic dirt, which can cause challenges in fines recovery. Schulberg explained the principle: the pulley’s magnetic rotor spins at an alternating speed to the conveyor, agitating the material.

“The ferrous is flipped and agitated so it can shake itself free of whatever it’s encapsulating,” he said. “This agitation action concentrates the non-ferrous, improving the effectiveness of downstream non-ferrous recovery, particularly in instances where copper is coated with or buried in fine ferrous debris.”

A notable advantage of the Eriez process is its low operating cost. Utilising permanent magnetic equipment means low power consumption as the only electrical draw being gear motors. .

This cost-effectiveness is a strong point of appeal, but Schulberg stressed the importance of test work before implementation.

“We have to have those discussions with the customer,” he said, outlining how Eriez works to develop a business case grounded in real numbers. “Customers

either provide samples or allow us to conduct on-site testing of ASR waste, with material samples gathered from multiple days or weeks of operation. This provides us the widest material scope to ensure performance in best and worst case scenarios.”

That data is then paired with operational information, such as what was run through the shredder each week, to identify trends and estimate potential recovery value. From this, Eriez models the likely return on investment.

Building the business case

At its core, the Eriez approach is about turning a cost centre into a profit centre. The customer has already paid to shred the material and may also be paying to landfill what remains, recovering the last few per cent of metals in the ASR adds revenue without increasing feedstock costs.

This value can be significant. Zorba values can vary greatly depending on global market supply and demand Zorba – the industry term for a non-ferrous mix of aluminium, copper, and brass – Schulberg estimated potential returns can be in the thousands per week in additional revenue for some operators.

While the technology itself is proven and relatively simple, integration can be more complex. Eriez does not perform installs or provide engineering integration – that’s left to contractors – but Schulberg said the team helps customers build the business case to secure internal approvals and project funding.

Schulberg said the importance of data can’t be overstated. Known values and repeatable results are what underpin the confidence to invest. Without testing, estimates become speculative, which can make capital approvals harder to secure. Schulberg said that the company is “not just pulling numbers out of the sky”.

Ultimately, the process is aimed at scrap yards, not

just because of the high value of non-ferrous fines they generate, but also because they are best positioned to act on it. ASR fines from scrap yards are materially richer than most waste streams, and their operators are already familiar with metal recovery economics.

As Schulberg put it, the waste levy hike has only sharpened the focus. Operators are now motivated not just by recovery targets or sustainability, but by the pure financial reality.

“Once that material leaves the yard,” he said, “it’s never coming back.”

At its core, the Eriez approach is about turning a cost centre into a profit centre.

Caption: Some of the returns can be in the thousands of dollars per week.

A new era for green waste processing

AUSTRALIA’S WASTE MANAGEMENT landscape continues to evolve, driven by stricter regulations, increasing landfill diversion goals, and the ongoing need for operational efficiency across regional and urban job sites. In this high-pressure environment, machinery that combines power, flexibility, and portability isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential.

The Vermeer HG400TX horizontal grinder is designed to tackle green waste, organic material, and small wood waste projects. This compact, powerful machine fills a gap in the grinder market: high performance without the bulk. Whether working for a regional council, a vegetation management contractor, or in land-clearing operations, the HG400TX has the specs, smarts, and size to handle a wide range of applications, without being overkill for smaller sites.

Built to go where others can’t

Measuring 8-metres long, 2-metres wide and under 2.6-metres high, the HG400TX is compact enough to be easily transported between job sites. With steel tracks and 220mm of ground clearance, the HG400TX is built to handle rough, uneven, and remote terrain. For work in urban or sensitive environments, optional bolt-on rubber pads help minimise ground disturbance and surface damage.

The right power-to-weight ratio

With a 129 kW (173 hp) Cat C4.4 Tier 4 Final engine, the HG400TX isn’t designed to be the biggest grinder on the market. It’s built to deliver just the right amount of power for processing brush, limbs, pallets, light C&D waste, and vegetation, without excess fuel burn or unnecessary complexity. Its performance is enhanced by Vermeer’s dual infeed conveyor chains, which offer consistent material flow into the mill. This setup improves

feeding efficiency while reducing the chance of bridging or clogging, key for crews aiming to reduce downtime and improve daily throughput.

Productivity without the hassle

An operator-friendly feature of the HG400TX is its dual-screen, sideload design, which allows for fast screen changes and easier maintenance. For contractors handling multiple types of materials, such as switching from palm fronds to hardwood mulch or green waste to biomass feedstock, then this feature is a time-saver.

The grinder’s replaceable anvil and durable hammermill are designed to withstand abrasive materials and high-frequency use, making the HG400TX a cost-effective asset over time. It also supports multiple screen and tip configurations, enabling contractors to fine-tune the output size to match the specific end-market needs.

Safety and visibility are key on active job sites, and Vermeer recognises this with the inclusion of a full-function wireless remote control. From a safe distance, operators can start, stop, control

the infeed, engage the feedcrush function, and monitor machine status – all without being physically at the controls. This not only improves job site safety but allows for more efficient loading operations, especially in confined or cluttered areas. Australia’s waste and vegetation management industries are spread across vast, often remote territories. Transport logistics are a constant concern, especially for contractors and councils servicing rural towns, parks, and roadside corridors. The HG400TX addresses these challenges. It provides the muscle of a grinder twice its size, but without the infrastructure demands or oversize headaches. It’s a suitable solution for:

• Green waste and compost operations.

• Land-clearing and arborist services.

• Urban vegetation control.

• Rail and roadside corridor work.

• Contract grinding with tight site access. Add to that its compatibility with telehandler, excavator and front-end loaders, and the HG400TX becomes a highly adaptable member of any waste processing fleet.

A growing need for versatility

With landfill diversion targets growing, statelevel waste levies rising, and public demand for sustainable processing solutions increasing, Australian operators need grinders that can do more with less. The HG400TX is Vermeer’s answer to this shifting landscape: a tough, transportable machine that doesn’t compromise on reliability, efficiency, or end-product quality. Soon to arrive in Australia, the HG400TX brings a timely and practical solution to the local market, ready to meet the demands of contractors, councils, and waste processors alike.

The HG400TX is built to process brush, limbs, pallets, light C&D waste, and vegetation. Images: RDO.

Below: The HG400TX grinder’s replaceable anvil and durable hammermill can handle abrasive materials.

Crushing waste, building futures –driving sustainable recycling

CURRENTLY, CONSTRUCTION and demolition produces the second largest amount of waste by sector. Australia’s target to recycle 80 per cent of waste by 2030 will require the country to significantly increase the rate of resource recovery. There is a need for government to work more closely with industry to turn a current challenge into a smart, sustainable opportunity.

Almost all types of C&D waste can be turned into quality, recovered materials with the right equipment and knowledge – and NSW-based mobile recycling company Davis Earthmoving has both. Its experience in resource recovery paired with its powerful low-speed shredders annihilate the most hard-to-process waste – large-scale construction and demolition waste, bulky waste, timber, green waste, pallets, logs, stumps, trees, carpet, mattresses and tyres.

In an era where environmental consciousness is essential, every action people take can contribute to a healthier planet. One such action, often overlooked, is the recycling of old mattresses and tyres.

Tyre shredding allows whole tyres to be broken down into smaller pieces to facilitate further processing and recycling. Shredded tyres are valued in civil construction for their low density, high permeability, and impact-absorbing properties. When used appropriately, they can reduce material costs, ease transport logistics, and contribute to

improved structural performance.

Mattress disposal has become an issue of concern. Each year in Australia approximately 1.8 million mattresses are sent to landfill, equating to 54,000 tonnes. Mattresses are big, bulky items that take up valuable space in landfill.

They contribute to environmental pollution by releasing harmful toxins while decomposing. One way Davis helps to reduce carbon footprint is through mattress recycling using its mobile recycling equipment. Components can have a second life, contributing to the circular economy and reducing the need for new resources.

Another area where Davis’ resource recovery is called into action, is in brick and concrete recycling.

“We are able to process huge quantities of brick and concrete waste stockpiles into quality aggregates for versatile re-use in drainage and road base for instance,” said company CEO Eric Davis.

This is smart business practice that offers better environmental outcomes, reducing landfill space, lowering transport costs, and slashing emissions tied to extracting new materials.

Davis’ mobile crushing and screening plant can process concrete, brick, soil, sand, tile, asphalt, rock and glass.

“The company has a wide range of crushing equipment available; jaw crushers, cone crushers and impact crushers in various capacities –optimised for any size reduction needed,” said Davis.

Davis’ recycling services offer solutions to improve resource recovery rates for C&D waste, offering high productivity per hour, quality material output and mobility. It uses its powerful mobile recycling equipment to divert waste from landfill and conserve natural resources.

“Our shredders and crushers are tracked machines with magnet separators for removal of ferrous fraction to ensure a clean end-product,” Davis said.

Equipment is available for hire or contract throughout NSW. Established in 1975, this Australian family-owned company’s work is championing sustainable resource management and contributing to a circular economy.

“We are able to process huge quantities of brick and concrete waste stockpiles into quality aggregates for versatile re-use in drainage and road base for instance.”

Davis Earthmoving’s equipment helps reduce landfill space, lowers transport costs, and slashes emissions. Image: Davis Earthmoving

Aptella and Carlson celebrate 10 years of customer-centric innovation

CARLSON AND APTELLA have marked 10 years of partnership, delivering tailored, supported machine guidance solutions across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

Carlson machine guidance solutions are designed for applications in landfill, quarrying, mining, dredging and the solar industry. Aptella provides the experience and on-site support to implement the technology within industry. What truly makes this partnership special however, is Carlson’s flexibility with its technology and trust in Aptella’s feedback to advance its technology further, delivering customised solutions for client-specific needs or whole industry improvements.

“The success of the partnership has been based on shared values and a strong commitment to exceptional customer service,” says Andrew Granger, executive manager – Mining, Landfill and Solar at Aptella. “A key benefit for our customers is Carlson embracing the opportunity to further innovate its technology based on real-world, application-based feedback to ensure its fit for purpose.”

The flexibility of Carlson’s solutions, coupled with the expertise in implementation and support from Aptella, has delivered a range of standout solutions over the past 10 years. The partnership has redefined how the waste management industry can optimise and advance operations. The introduction of Carlson’s custom-designed landfill compactor solution, Landfill Grade, has improved compaction

each day, which means we are maximising airspace and prolonging the life of the landfill.”

efficiency, delivering operational cost savings while enhancing real-time performance monitoring and site safety.

According to Brad Wood from Summerhill Landfill, the initial installation and commissioning of Landfill Grade was simple and straightforward.

“Because the site had been checked prior to our investment, the set up was simple, and our

“The strong market share Landfill Grade has achieved across Australia and New Zealand is a testament to Aptella’s industry experience and local support teams,” said Carlson’s director of machine control, Tim Jones. “The knowledge of the team and dedication to their customers means from installation and training to support and service – end-users have consistency and expertise to maximise the technology. Aptella and Carlson have new product announcements and projects further advancing machine guidance and software solutions in the next 12 months.

The technology is easily installed on equipment and machinery.

Images: Aptella

Below: Carlson’s technology is ideal for the waste and resource recovery industries.

Aptella’s Andrew Granger (left) with Carlson’s Tim Jones.

Excitement builds for Waste Expo and ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference

THIS OCTOBER, Waste Expo Australia and the ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference return— now co-located for the first time, uniting the full recycled materials value chain under one roof. Industry leaders are preparing to showcase how their innovations are advancing the circular economy and supporting Victoria’s Recycled First Policy.

By bringing together two of the sector’s most influential events, the co-location aims to create new opportunities for suppliers, project teams, leaders, and policymakers while expanding reach across industries and driving greater collaboration.

Alex Fraser will exhibit at ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference to showcase how its recycled materials are being used to improve sustainability outcomes across infrastructure projects. The company plays a dual role in the sector –processing construction and demolition waste and supplying recycled materials to major works – making its presence at both ecologiQ and alongside Waste Expo Australia a natural fit.

Peter Murphy, managing director of Alex Fraser, said the event creates a valuable opportunity to connect with stakeholders across both sides of the industry.

“We’re big supporters of ecologiQ,” said Murphy. “We love working with them. I think they love working with us.”

Alex Fraser recovers materials such as concrete, brick, rock, asphalt and glass, transforming them into products like recycled road base and high-recycledcontent asphalt. These are then used in Victorian major infrastructure projects that come under the Recycled First Policy.

Murphy said the co-location of Waste Expo and ecologiQ offers Alex Fraser the opportunity to demonstrate the breadth of its operations. While Waste Expo focuses on those seeking to recycle their materials, ecologiQ brings attention to the application of those materials in transport projects.

“We kind of get the best of both worlds at this conference,” said Murphy.

He also highlighted the importance of being visible at such events, especially when there are opportunities to speak directly to key decision makers.

Another company attending the ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference is Heidelberg Materials.

“These events give us a valuable opportunity to share how we’re progressing towards net zero by cutting carbon in our products and operations,” said Christian Willmett, national technical manager, Heidelberg Materials Australia. “We’re also keen to be part of the broader discussion about circularity and the smarter use of resources.”

At the ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference, the company will spotlight its work in low carbon concrete, an area in which it has built strong local expertise.

“We’re proud of our standard low carbon concrete, which achieves a 30 to 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions,” Willmett said, referring to its Enrich range.

Heidelberg Materials will also showcase Ecotera, its high-performance, low carbon concrete, as well as Trakt, a digital maturity testing solution that provides data on concrete strength in situ. The company hopes to take away just as much as it contributes.

“We want to have meaningful conversations about where the industry is going, in terms of low carbon concrete, circular materials and digital innovation,” Willmett said. “It’s a great chance for us to listen, learn and bring insights back to support our ongoing development.”

The conference also boasts a compelling lineup of speakers, including keynote Professor Veena Sahajwalla, director of the Sustainable Materials Research & Technology Centre at UNSW Australia.

Her keynote, titled It’s Not a Waste Problem, It’s a Manufacturing Opportunity , will argue that waste is not simply a challenge to manage, but a largely untapped resource that can help build new, sustainable supply chains through innovation and collaboration.

Sahajwalla will focus on how localised, circular economies can be created by rethinking how we use materials, with waste forming the basis of future manufacturing. She sees collaboration between research institutions and industry as critical to unlocking the potential of waste and embedding sustainability into everyday production.

“We pioneer the science of micro recycling and develop technology-based solutions to reform hardto-recycle waste streams that are mostly destined for landfill into value-added products and feedstock for remanufacturing,” she said. “I’m passionate about what we do and the impact we create in helping to

create a more sustainable society.”

Her talk will showcase innovations developed at the UNSW SMaRT Centre, including MICROfactorie technologies and the Green Steel Polymer Injection Technology. These solutions turn complex waste types, like rubber tyres, into useful inputs for industries such as steelmaking.

Sahajwalla believes many current recycling systems are not equipped to deal with the complexity of modern waste streams. While traditional recycling methods still have a role, they are limited in scope. She advocates for going well beyond these systems to develop more advanced solutions that are fit for purpose and suited to the specific materials being discarded.

“Manufacturers face an innovation challenge and pressures around supply chains,” she said. “We need industry to partner with researchers to better develop systems and processes to compete both locally and on a global scale.”

By recovering resources from waste and repurposing them into feedstock for remanufacturing, she believes Australia can develop more resilient supply chains and play a vital role in global sustainability efforts.

The co-location of the ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference and Waste Expo Australia brings these ideas to life – connecting waste innovation with practical infrastructure outcomes across policy, procurement, and project delivery.

Registration for the ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference is open now. Book before 12 August and save $200.

Wasteexpoaustralia.com/ecologiQ.

The Waste Expo offers the opportunity to speak directly to key decision makers. Image: RX Global

Collaboration key at ReGen 2025

REGEN 2025 SIGNALLED RISING momentum in government–industry partnerships shaping Australia’s circular economy.

As the event wrapped up, a clear sense of purpose permeated the event, highlighting the resourcefulness and commitment within the country’s waste and recycling sector.

Brett Lemin, executive director of the Waste Contractors & Recyclers Association (WCRA) NSW and an MC at several of the seminars, summed up the prevailing tone during the final session on the Resource Stage, citing a “renewed energy, both from government and from industry for collaboration”.

His remarks struck a chord with panellists and delegates alike, pointing to a fresh and unified approach to the country’s complex waste issues. According to Lemin, sharing knowledge and working together is now becoming standard practice.

“The commitment to working together, with government teams flying across the country... collaborating together, having good meetings, sharing loads from all the different projects, is something I’ve never seen,” he said.

Reflections from the event pointed to several shared concerns and emerging goals shaping the sector’s trajectory. Chief among them was collaboration, a theme reflecting the growing recognition that no one body can drive waste transformation alone. Claire Anderson, executive director of the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, said the first-day sessions “reinforces the ingenuity and the passion of people working in the sector”.

“It’s so great to see so many examples of innovation, trying new things, persevering through challenges and solving complex problems,” she said. “There were some common themes – collaboration came out really strongly, as did education and communication, and how we build trust in the community. End markets and

procurement, I think, were certainly top as well.”

She noted the need for commercially viable models, particularly for organics, plastics and other material streams, if circular solutions are to replace landfill in a lasting way. Alexandra Geddes, executive director, Programs and Innovation at NSW Environment Protection Authority, echoed these sentiments, emphasising the sector’s complexity – from supply chains to consumer behaviour – and the tenacity needed to push through.

Geddes championed a collaborative approach across sectors and jurisdictions, flagging the risks of fragmented thinking and missed opportunities. She encouraged participants to “look at the entire supply chain,” including end markets, rather than trying to solve problems in isolation.

“Sometimes when we try to address a problem, we don’t look at the entire supply chain, we don’t look at the end markets, and don’t realise where there might then be an impediment to follow,” she said. “I think the onus is across industry and human behaviours, we all have an important part to play.”

This energy is being channelled into efforts to align waste strategies across jurisdictions. While acknowledging that “not everything is going to work exactly the same in every state” and accepting different local priorities, the direction is clear: to “join up, harmonise where we can”.

The FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) panel served as a case in point, illustrating the sector’s appetite for shared learning. Anderson noted states were drawing on past experiences and learning from each other to avoid repeating mistakes as new rollouts progressed.

She described Queensland’s phased strategy –starting with FOGO to build trust and quality – and their willingness to observe others to learn from those lessons. Despite this progress, the mood was realistic about persistent hurdles, especially the challenge of

aligning regulations and policy settings.

Suzanne Toumbourou, CEO of the Australian Council of Recycling, applauded the level of grit and commitment and compassion shown by sector players, but reminded the audience of the commercial realities. However, she warned that even with this commitment, the sector still needs to be viable and profitable. She took a firmer line on collaboration, calling for faster harmonisation to unlock investment and improve Australia’s competitiveness.

She pointed to the “fragmented regulatory environment” where states “leapfrogging each other” only added confusion, and said national alignment was crucial to achieving circularity at scale.

New South Wales received praise for its leadership on extended producer responsibility (EPR), particularly its work around batteries. The state’s proactive measures were described as a refreshing approach that could inspire others to take similar action. Panellists supported the idea of minimum standards across states, rather than enforcing uniformity, as a way forward.

The FOGO topic continued to offer lessons. While councils in New South Wales spoke of positive outcomes, speakers flagged ongoing concerns around compost end markets and the importance of reliable buyback schemes. The conversation also touched on changing how the sector is perceived – from waste management to industrial production.

“It’s fundamental that we really start thinking about recycling as a remanufacturing supply chain,” Toumbourou said.

She warned that continuing to treat recycling purely as part of the waste sector would hinder Australia’s progress towards a circular economy. Positive developments in soft plastics and textile recycling also featured, with several Australian companies held up as examples of practical innovation.

These case studies gave weight to the argument that even the toughest streams can be addressed with the right combination of will and ingenuity.

Event director from Diversified Communications Ali Lawes was upbeat about the show.

“ReGen 2025 was our biggest show yet — with attendance up 9 per cent on our previous record — but more importantly, it brought together a uniquely powerful mix of local councils, C-suite leaders, sustainability managers, waste and recycling professionals, and circular economy innovator,” she said. “That breadth is exactly what ReGen was designed to do. Our transformation from AWRE and Circularity into ReGen was driven by a clear need for cross-sector collaboration — to stop solving problems in silos and start looking at the entire supply chain, as Alexandra Geddes so rightly said. That’s ReGen’s purpose and our USP: creating a national platform where government, industry, and innovation can connect, align, and accelerate the transition to a more circular Australia. What we saw this year was just the beginning. The momentum, the partnerships, and the collective energy in the room point to an industry ready to move forward — together. We look forward to continuing that journey with everyone at ICC Sydney on 22–23 July 2026.”

One of the key out-takes from the event was the importance of collaboration, especially between governments and the industry. Image: Diversified Communications

O’Connor takes out top gong at Women in Industry Awards

velopment Success of the Year award, recognising her leadership in growing the KingKira Group into one of Australia’s standout service providers in the mining and resources sectors.

The Women in Industry Awards celebrated its 12th year with a gala event that brought together professionals from sectors including engineering, construction, transport, mining, logistics, resource recovery and manufacturing. The evening honoured women who have made significant contributions to their fields through leadership, innovation, and resilience.

O’Connor’s recognition is the result of years of dedication. Under her direction, KingKira Group has grown from a small start-up to a key supplier of services in Western Australia’s mining industry. The company prides itself on providing safe and sustainable services while fostering meaningful employment opportunities for Aboriginal people. In her acceptance speech, O’Connor reflected on the personal significance of the win.

“Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge and thank my wife for coming and supporting me all the time, and always putting me on the straight and narrow,” she said. “It’s really good to stand here among all the

didn’t work either. If my kids can see other girls and women in leadership, if they can see that women can do more than just the things we’re told we should be doing, that’s a big insight.”

KingKira, a 100 per cent Indigenous-owned and operated company, was founded to create positive change in the mining sector and beyond. It delivers plant hire, earthmoving and civil construction services, with a strong focus on cultural safety, inclusivity, and community empowerment.

O’Connor’s dual win was the highlight of a night that saw a wide range of achievements recognised across Australia’s industrial landscape. The awards were judged by a panel representing leading organisations including Trades Women Australia, RMIT University, Women in Trucking Australia, and Austmine.

The evening also acknowledged the ongoing support of sponsors, including Atlas Copco Group, which has supported the event for over a decade and this year backed the Rising Star of the Year award. Infrastructure giant Fulton Hogan sponsored the Woman of the Year award, while PACCAR Australia supported the Safety Advocacy category. Keter, a woman-owned freight company, sponsored

2025 WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS WINNERS:

• Business Development Success of the Year –Tammy O’Connor, KingKira Group Pty Ltd

• Excellence in Construction – Isolde Piet, Suburban Connect

• Excellence in Engineering – Stacey Daniel, Board Presence

• Excellence in Energy – Suzanne Shipp, APA Group

• Excellence in Manufacturing – Naomi Elliott, Concept Labs

• Excellence in Mining – Becky May Felstead, Strong Minds, Strong Mines

• Excellence in Transport – Kirryn Crossman, SMEC

• Industry Advocacy Award – Eileen Breen, NTEX

• Mentor of the Year – Tash Fee, Clough

• Rising Star of the Year – Jennifer Clements, Consultex Pty Ltd

• Safety Advocacy Award – Mandeep Singh, Ego Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd

• Woman of the Year – Tammy O’Connor, KingKira Group Pty Ltd

the Excellence in Transport Award.

The event closed on a high note, reinforcing the importance of visibility and representation for women across male-dominated sectors.

With trailblazers like O’Connor leading the way, the industry is shifting toward a more inclusive and diverse future.

O’Connor with both of her awards at the event. Image: PrimeCreative

Horizontal Grinder Peterson 5710c FOR HIRE

Unit Dimensions: Feed opening 152 x 102 cm

Weight: 43 tonne

Capacity: 100+ tonnes per hour

Price: FOR HIRE OR CONTRACT. Rates available.

More information: High speed 1,050 Horsepower Horizontal Grinder For Hire or Contract, Track mounted with remote control, high lift feed roll, magnetic head pulley.

Applications: Organics and Vegetation Mulching, Mobile Timber Grinding, Wood & Green Waste Processing, Land Clearing, Landfill Management. Suitable for processing trees, palms, logs, stumps, vegetation, green waste, wood waste, brush, land clearing debris. Finished product: mulch, superior particle size control.

Name: Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying Pty Ltd

Phone: 02 9450 2288

Web: davisem.com.au

Email: davisem@davisem.com.au

Low-Speed Shredder Pronar MRW 2.85g Twin Shaft FOR HIRE

Weight: 26 tonne

Price: FOR HIRE OR CONTRACT. Rates available

More information: Mobile Low Speed Shredder for Hire or Contract, track mounted with remote control.

Applications: C&D Shredding, Timber Grinding, Land Clearing, Green Waste Mulching, Landfill Management. Suitable for processing Mattresses, C&D waste, tyres, carpet, green waste, roots, trees, municipal industrial waste, bulky materials, pallets, tree stumps, light scrap, land clearing debris. Shredding is achieved by two synchronously running shredding shafts.

Name: Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying Pty Ltd

Phone: 02 9450 2288

Web: davisem.com.au

Email: davisem@davisem.com.au

Unit Dimensions: Screen Area 5,5 m²

Weight: 35 tonne

Capacity: Up to 350 tonnes per hour

Price: FOR HIRE OR CONTRACT. Rates available.

Applications: Mobile Concrete Crushing, Rock Crushing, Glass Recycling, Landfill Management. Suitable for processing concrete, brick, tile, asphalt, glass and rock. Track mounted, remote control, steel magnet separator, closed material circuit, mesh screen with integrated refeeding belt, 3 rotor speeds. Produces excellent graded high quality final aggregate in a single pass.

Low-Speed Shredder Komptech Terminator 6000S FOR HIRE

Weight: 26.50 tonne

Capacity: Approx. 100 tonne per hour

Price: FOR HIRE OR CONTRACT. Rates available

More information: Mobile Low Speed Shredder for Hire or Contract. Track mounted with remote control, and over-band magnet.

Name: Mark Moss

Phone Number: +61 8 9259 8303

Webpage: www.joest.com.au

Email: sales@joest.com.au

Name: Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying Pty Ltd

Phone: 02 9450 2288

Web: davisem.com.au

Email: davisem@davisem.com.au

respondents indicating that local government is their busiest sector.

RECOGNISING THE INDUSTRY’S LEADING CONSULTANTS

Welcome to the 2025 Consultant’s Registry, a comprehensive guide to consultants in the resource recovery/waste sector.

For this year’s listing, we have made a concerted effort to ensure all consultants who wished to be included had ample time to submit their details. While every effort has been made to engage the consultancy community, it is possible that some companies were missed. If your consultancy is not listed, we encourage you to contact us so we can add you to our database for future editions. This year’s registry includes close to 100 consultancy

firms offering a broad spectrum of services to the waste sector. The survey results provide valuable insight into the composition and capabilities of the consultancy landscape. Firm sizes vary significantly, with some having fewer than ten employees and others employing more than 200.

A large proportion of consultancy work continues to come from government clients, with 77 per cent of

Consultancies are distributed across the country. New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland host the majority of firms, but there is also a strong presence in Western Australia. South Australia, the Northern Territory and the ACT are home to a smaller number of consultancies with waste expertise.

A notable finding from this year’s results is the diversity of services offered. Few firms limit themselves to a narrow field of expertise; instead, most provide a broad suite of offerings across the waste and resource recovery sector.

We hope readers find this registry useful in identifying the right consultant for their company’s needs, particularly as the industry continues to navigate periods of uncertainty. These experts offer the experience, research capabilities and practical knowledge to support businesses in making informed decisions and reaching their potential.

arup.sydneyoﬃce@arup.com

enquiries@envaud.com.au

enquiries@envirocom.com.au

sydrec@ghd.com

hello@goodforthehood.com.au

info@gurru.com.au

sdegagny@kpmg.com.au

info@mraconsulting.com.au

enquiries@resourcerecovery.org.au

trevor.march@senversa.com.au

Sydney.Reception@smec.com cx.service@veolia.com.au

info@wsp.com

admin@aprince.com.au

richard.collins@arcadis.com

arup.sydneyoﬃce@arup.com

giles@askwm.com

stever@atcwilliams.com.au

brisbane@atcwilliams.com •

enquiries@envaud.com.au

admin@beattyhughes.com.au

natalie@breen.com.au

katherine.pickerd@cbp.com.au

aus.tt.edbris@colliers.com

nick@cowman.com.au

admin@dartmouthconsulting.com.au info@deloreancorporation.com.au reception@ecsustainable.com

enquiries@ekistica.com.au •

vblair@emmconsulting.com.au

info@ennovo.com.au

enquiries@envirocom.com.au

waste management and processing sales@envirotreat.com.au

•

info@ﬁchtner.com.au ••••••

sydrec@ghd.com Communications

hello@goodforthehood.com.au

amorony@grantsamuel.com.au

Emilia.Salgado@greenyakka.com.au

nick@aargus.net

operations. info@gurru.com.au

education@halvewaste.com.au

alex.jenner@howdengroup.com

thomas@impactenviro.com.au

alan@insituadvisory.com

Dr Mark Jackson

sdegagny@kpmg.com.au

info@mraconsulting.com.au

patrick@nuloop.com.au

paul.rhoden@hazellbros.com.au

mrevault@ramboll.com

vikas@mahajan-group.com

ims-sales@remondis.com.au

hello@resourcehub.com.au

enquiries@resourcerecovery.org.au

Sydney.Reception@smec.com

kate@sphereinfrastructure.com

andrew@summitenviro.com.au

admin@talisconsultants.com.au

paulw@tallai.com

Info@uprightpmc.com.au

admin@utl-utilities.com.au cx.service@veolia.com.au

info@vequa.com.au

support@wastemanagementconsulting. com.au

caroline.khoo@watertech.com.au

info@wsp.com

info@zephyrenviro.com

enquiries@ekistica.com.au

sydrec@ghd.com

hello@goodforthehood.com.au

sdegagny@kpmg.com.au

info@mraconsulting.com.au

enquiries@resourcerecovery.org.au

Sydney.Reception@smec.com cx.service@veolia.com.au

caroline.khoo@watertech.com.au

info@wsp.com

admin@aprince.com.au

pradeep.s@aquariseinnovations. com.au

richard.collins@arcadis.com

arup.sydneyoﬃce@arup.com

stever@atcwilliams.com.au

brisbane@atcwilliams.com •

Contaminated Land Auditing; Expert Witness enquiries@envaud.com.au ian.lynass@bluephoenix-group.com

info@blueterrain.com.au info@budgetbin.com.au

juan.rivero@ccengs.com camralsolutions@outlook.com

katherine.pickerd@cbp.com.au

aus.tt.edbris@colliers.com ••

Landﬁll gas specialists enquiries@core-ep.com.au

Sustainability reporting, materiality assessments admin@cqgroup.com.au

vblair@emmconsulting.com.au

info@ennovo.com.au

enquiries@envirocom.com.au

colinforker@gmail.com

sydrec@ghd.com

Communications and engagement hello@goodforthehood.com.au

admin@greentecconsulting.com.au

nick@aargus.net

Transforming the way organisations use data to streamlining operations. info@gurru.com.au

keiran@harbak.com.au

andSuppy info@hardrecycle.com

alex.jenner@howdengroup.com

Analysis, Waste Characteristics info@hrl.com.au

sdegagny@kpmg.com.au

sales@MaterialRecoverySolutions. com.au

info@mraconsulting.com.au

mrigby@mraenvironmental.com.au

info@optsp.com.au

paul.rhoden@hazellbros.com.au

aqua@remondis.com.au

ims-sales@remondis.com.au

enquiries@resourcerecovery.org.au •

rm@rmcg.com.au

trevor.march@senversa.com.au

Sydney.Reception@smec.com

kate@sphereinfrastructure.com

admin@talisconsultants.com.au

paulw@tallai.com

sales@triconequipment.com.au

Info@uprightpmc.com.au

admin@utl-utilities.com.au cx.service@veolia.com.au

info@vequa.com.au

•

info@implasticfree.com

caroline.khoo@watertech.com.au

info@wsp.com

richard.collins@arcadis.com

arup.sydneyoﬃce@arup.com

stever@atcwilliams.com.au

brisbane@atcwilliams.com

enquiries@envaud.com.au

enquiries@core-ep.com.au info@deloreancorporation.com.au

vblair@emmconsulting.com.au

info@ennovo.com.au

sydrec@ghd.com

hello@goodforthehood.com.au

admin@greentecconsulting.com.au

operations. info@gurru.com.au

alex.jenner@howdengroup.com

sdegagny@kpmg.com.au

info@mraconsulting.com.au

info@rawtec.com.au

enquiries@resourcerecovery.org.au

trevor.march@senversa.com.au

Sydney.Reception@smec.com

thandizam.ep@gmail.com

info@transmutation.com.au cx.service@veolia.com.au

caroline.khoo@watertech.com.au

info@wsp.com admin@ycarecycling.com

admin@aprince.com.au

stever@atcwilliams.com.au

brisbane@atcwilliams.com

enquiries@envaud.com.au

enquiries@ekistica.com.au

sydrec@ghd.com

hello@goodforthehood.com.au

sdegagny@kpmg.com.au

info@mraconsulting.com.au

rm@rmcg.com.au

Sydney.Reception@smec.com cx.service@veolia.com.au

info@wsp.com

allenvironmentalconcepts@bigpond. com

admin@aprince.com.au

richard.collins@arcadis.com

arup.sydneyoﬃce@arup.com

stever@atcwilliams.com.au

brisbane@atcwilliams.com

enquiries@envaud.com.au

admin@automatedenvironmental.com

info@beconsult.com.au

matt@circularfutures.com.au

katherine.pickerd@cbp.com.au

aus.tt.edbris@colliers.com

enquiries@core-ep.com.au

info@curriecommunications.com.au

admin@dartmouthconsulting.com.au info@deloreancorporation.com.au

Gary Delrayne

accounts.payable@ecsustainable.com

and

vblair@emmconsulting.com.au

info@ennovo.com.au

enquiries@envirocom.com.au

sales@envirotreat.com.au

sydrec@ghd.com

hello@goodforthehood.com.au

amorony@grantsamuel.com.au

info@gurru.com.au

alex.jenner@howdengroup.com

info@hrl.com.au

trevor@infrasolutions.com.au

alan@insituadvisory.com

tmellor@keithwalkingﬂoor.com

sdegagny@kpmg.com.au

james@mackenviro.com.au

info@mraconsulting.com.au

leo.oldridge@pe3.com.au

mrevault@ramboll.com

info@rawtec.com.au

info@recycleall.com.au

ims-sales@remondis.com.au

hello@resourcehub.com.au

enquiries@resourcerecovery.org.au

rm@rmcg.com.au

trevor.march@senversa.com.au

Sydney.Reception@smec.com

Jacquelle Gorski

admin@talisconsultants.com.au

tandemsolutions4@gmail.com

sales@triconequipment.com.au cx.service@veolia.com.au

info@vequa.com.au

admin@wastereleaf.com.au

caroline.khoo@watertech.com.au

info@wsp.com

hello@sustainablesolutionsnow.com

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giles@askwm.com

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Jasonlacey@eq-house.com info@deloreancorporation.com.au

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sdegagny@kpmg.com.au

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mrevault@ramboll.com

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From Colombia to Queensland: a purposeful shift

ERIKA CONDE’S journey into the Australian waste and resource recovery sector began thousands of kilometres away in Colombia. There, surrounded by a landscape rich in agriculture, she first noticed the scale of organic residues going unaddressed. Even as a child, she was thinking about how to reduce waste and improve processes. Those early observations, along with a formative comment from her father about there ‘being a better way’ to deal with such waste, stayed with her.

Conde moved to Australia initially to learn English. That decision marked the beginning of a new chapter. She went on to complete a master’s degree in environmental engineering and then a PhD in Anaerobic Digestion at Griffith University. The move from chemical engineering to environmental sustainability was gradual, but it felt natural.

Her professional experience spans industries including mining, explosives, and brewing, but it was the environmental impact of those operations that ultimately motivated her transition. Through academic and practical work, Conde found a path that aligned with her childhood concerns and technical training.

Finding a home at Arup

Conde works at Arup as a waste and resource consultant, where she helps councils and organisations develop practical, data-led waste strategies. Her role combines technical due diligence with broader systems thinking, allowing her to participate in projects with long-term social and environmental value.

“For example, I support guidance to councils that are planning to transition into the organic separation,” she said.

Conde’s day-to-day work can include feedstock assessment, technical input during the evaluation of technology and design review, waste management plans, and strategic support for councils affected by shifting state mandates. As organic waste becomes a key area for improvement across Australian municipalities, Conde plays a role in designing viable, context-specific solutions.

One of her core strengths is her specialisation in anaerobic digestion, a treatment method she explored in depth during her PhD. Still, she remains open to other options. What matters most to her is tailoring the approach to each location, rather than pushing a single solution.

Working with councils on tailored solutions

Conde’s experience working with councils across New South Wales has been overwhelmingly positive. She notes that many are now more open to new ideas, prompted in part by regulatory changes that demand timely action.

“Even though my background is in anaerobic digestion, I also have an open mind,” she said.

In one long-running project, Conde supported

a council from the start of its journey into food organics and garden organics (FOGO) processing. The project involved everything from identifying suitable technologies to estimating the available waste volumes. The facility was intended not only for residential organics, but also for potential use by local commercial businesses.

Conde contributed technical assessments throughout the process. While she was not directly responsible for the financial modelling, her team operated collaboratively. Financial and technical aspects were developed in tandem, with open communication between disciplines.

This collaborative method is one of the things she values most about her current role. It ensures that solutions are robust and that feasibility is assessed from both practical and economic perspectives.

Challenges and optimism for the sector

Conde acknowledges that the waste sector faces real challenges. These vary by region, but she highlights regulation as a key hurdle. In Queensland, for example, she cites the strict limits placed on PFAS levels in waste facilities as a case where expectations have outpaced what operators can currently control. However, she is encouraged by signs of progress, including recent moves by government departments to review those regulations.

“There is a lack of understanding from major governments,” she said. “Waste is still too often dismissed as a lesser priority. Government support and recognition must go further to match the ambitions of those working on the ground.”

Conde hopes that recent policy developments, such as the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility and further investment in the circular economy, will help shift the narrative. For the industry to thrive, it needs clear and practical regulatory frameworks, along with sustained investment in infrastructure and innovation.

Meaningful work with visible impact

For Conde, the appeal of working in the waste and resource recovery sector goes beyond job satisfaction. It is about impact. She speaks with conviction about the significance of her work and the opportunities available to others who are considering a similar career path.

“You are not doing only a job, but you are trying to solve a big issue that is happening,” she said. “This is an industry where you can make a real difference. Waste is no longer a side issue. It is central to how societies function and adapt in the face of climate and environmental pressures.”

Conde’s story is one of reinvention and purpose. Her engineering expertise and personal passion for waste reduction have found a home in a sector where both are needed more than ever. Whether she is advising councils, or sharing her knowledge with peers, she is helping to reshape how Australia thinks about waste, one project at a time.

Conde’s professional experience spans industries including mining, explosives, and brewing.

Image: Erika Conde

The public gets what the public wants

Dear Sir

Education. I was thinking recently of my time at boarding school in Berkshire, and I can’t say it brings back fond memories. I won’t go into the details, but suffice to say I won’t be going to any reunions any time soon.

However, it did get me thinking about the industry I have attached myself to and its rollout of FOGO – that’s Food Organics and Green Organics for those of us in the know. It can be a pretty messy business, FOGO. Unlike most resource streams, this one can become quite ripe if not handled correctly. Like anything in life, when people are asked to carry out tasks that are outside their comfort zone, usually a couple of things occur – they ignore the task or pay it lip service – in other words, do the bare minimum. Sometimes, there is outright revolt

and they refuse. One of the key ingredients for getting people on board is education. Leaving them to their own devices is not only a bad idea, it will also fail to deliver the result you wanted. Bit like OHMSS, if you know what I mean.

In NSW, the government has decided to be proactive and passed a bill requiring all councils to provide a FOGO collection bin to every household. “Not another bin?” I hear you, and many others, cry. Yes, another one.

However, this one is important for a variety of reasons, as it will hopefully drive change in several ways. First, it will clean up various other waste streams, which are currently messy, unpleasant and littered with FOGO. Second, it will stop a lot of organic matter from being landfilled. Unlike compost, buried organics create massive amounts of greenhouse gases. And finally, it is hoped that

people will be more circumspect when shopping for food and only buy what they need, rather than throwing out $2,200 each year – the average amount wasted per household in Australia.

Thus, education. A piece written recently by one Sydney-based expert talked about a municipality where there is a Facebook page dedicated to those who ‘hate the ******* FOGO service’. Why? Lack of proper engagement. Throwing another bin at ratepayers and constituents and hoping they’ll just hop on board is no longer doable. Over the past 30-plus years, more bins have been introduced, and more people have become annoyed that they have to separate even more waste. Some even wonder out loud why they have to do it when MRFs can do it for them. However, if you engage a community and inform them of the benefits, you will find that while not all will come on board, a huge percentage will – more than would have if you hadn’t spread the word.

“It is hoped that people will be more circumspect when shopping for food and only buy what they need, rather than throwing out $2,200 each year – the average amount wasted per household in Australia.”

Education is not an expensive endeavour compared to the alternative. Forward-thinking councils know this.

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